You have 'no freedom' in this place (but I really like you)
by Momoko Harukaze
Summary: This is the story of a mermaid princess, and a boy that doesn't quite know he's a knight, just yet. (aka, the syaosaku mermaid au that got way too out of hand)
1. Prologue

This is the story of a princess and her knight.

Now, please don't be mistaken. This is not a story of medieval tales, fantastic feats, gleaming swords or fire-breathing dragons. No, rather, this is quite the opposite. This is the story of a girl of the ocean, and a boy of land. A story of where the sand meets the shore, where the sun meets the surface, marking the horizon between two worlds, both a mystery to the other.

Brick walls growing ivy, towers made of pearls. A summer breeze on one person's cheek, and a rushing current on another's. Beneath his feet, hot sand; surrounding her body, cool water.

Looking down at the blue expanse below, looking up at the sun past the surface above, both hands reaching forward, to break the line between sky and sea.

Running, swimming, struggling, fighting, laughing, loving.

This is the story of a mermaid princess, and a boy that doesn't quite know he's a knight, just yet.


	2. A beginning

He wakes to a bright beam of sunlight, streaming in through his window. His curtains flutter softly with the salty breeze from outside, as the crash of the distant ocean echoes in his ears.

Frowning a bit on reflex when the light hits his eyes, his brow furrows as he reaches up, fumbling for his alarm clock. When he finally manages to glance at it, he can see that he still has an extra thirty minutes of possible rest before the alarm goes off… But instead of taking advantage of this, he simply puts the clock back where it had stood, sitting up with a yawn. He reaches up, running a hand through tousled, chestnut-colored hair, amber eyes squinting to get adjusted to the light as he rolls out of bed. The alarm is really more of a formality than anything-he's never needed it, to wake up.

It's a normal day, one that starts like any other. He gets dressed into his school uniform, a white shirt paired with dark green pants, and a blue-green striped tie. He brushes his teeth, attempts to brush his hair, then it's time to make breakfast, drinking juice while eating some toast as he reads the paper while listening to the radio on his counter.

 _"It's another sunny day in Nemukai, with temperatures above 21 degrees. Oceans are calm, with tides reaching their highest at 11:40 in the morning, and their lowest at 7:28 this evening. Today, flower-viewing parties are in full swing as locals flock to the gardens to view…"_

The radio is also a formality, something to simply fill in empty noise as he eats. After hearing the weather, he all but tunes out the droning voices from the small metal box.

Once his breakfast is finished, he does the dishes as usual, washing them thoroughly and setting them on his small drying rack, where they will be dry by the time he gets home. Checking the clock again, he sees that he still has some time before he has to go… but, well. Better to leave early today, he thinks. It's not like he has any reason to idle around here. He picks up his bag, checking the contents over to ensure he has everything, then walks out the door of his apartment. At the same time, the door adjacent to his opens up, both he and the figure next door stepping out simultaneously.

This doesn't surprise him, either. He looks to the right, seeing the young man beside him. Tall, lean, with gray hair swept across an otherwise very handsome face. He's not in a uniform, but is carrying a bag with him. The man looks up, meeting his eyes, blinking at first but then smiling in recognition.

"Good morning, Syaoran-kun!" He says, cheerfully. "You're up early."

The boy gives a polite nod, the tiniest of smiles curling up on his lips as he replies, "Good morning, Yukito-san."

It's a typical routine. Syaoran gets up before his alarm, prepares for school, eats breakfast, and then walks with Yukito. His school is on the same route to Yukito's college, so it all works out. The two walk down the fire escape of the apartment complex, Syaoran listening to his companion talk happily about how nice it is today, what he had for breakfast this morning, asking Syaoran if he'd seen that special on TV last night?

"You already know I don't watch TV, Yukito-san." Syaoran replies, patiently. "I don't even have cable."

"Ah, that's right." Yukito laughs, leisurely. "But you should keep up with the times, you know? You're already in your second year of high school. What are you going to do if you can't make friends?"

"That's rude." He huffs in reply. "I _have_ friends."

"You have _a_ friend."

"That's not true!" Syaoran glares, and counts on his fingers. "I have you, and Yamazaki. Two!"

"Ah! You count me as a friend?" The gray-haired youth laughs again, flattered. "I'm happy!"

Syaoran gives a start at that, and averts his gaze, grumbling with flushed cheeks. "Shut up." It's always like this, he thinks. He'd like to say it's because Yukito's craftier than he looks, but in reality, it's probably just because he always ends up letting his guard down around him. Cons of having been neighbors for years, he supposes.

The two take the usual route to school, the road that runs by the seaside, and Syaoran lets himself breathe in the fresh ocean air as they walk. To his right, he can see the blue expanse of the sea, and to his left, the blooming cherry blossom trees, lining the opposite side of the road.

"So pretty…" Yukito marvels at the sight.

"Is it?" Syaoran shrugs, though. "We see this every spring."

"That doesn't make it any less beautiful." He sighs. "I'm glad I moved to this town." Syaoran allows himself a small smile in response. Yukito's always been the more sentimental one out of the two.

"Ah-I know!" Yukito then smiles. "How about we get some ice cream? As a commemoration for your second year of high school, starting today!"

"Ice cream?" Syaoran frowns. "It's not even seven-thirty in the morning yet."

"Come on, we've still got time," Yukito chuckles in response. "Let's go!" He takes the brunette's arm, pulling him along and ignoring his complaints. Five minutes later, the two are seated on the edge of one of the many docks lining the road, looking out at the ocean as they lick their ice cream.

"If I get a stomachache in class today," Syaoran grumbles, licking into his chocolate cone, "I'm blaming you."

"That won't happen, you always eat healthy, after all."

"Yeah, and you eat too much."

Yukito just chuckles again, looking out at the ocean with a warm smile.

"...Are you excited?" he asks. "For school."

"Hm?" Syaoran raises a brow, giving him a look. "What kind of question is that?" When he only receives a smile in response, he shrugs.

"I'm not dreading it like everyone else," he says. "But it's not like I'm excited for it, either. Ah-but it will be nice to see Yamazaki again, I guess." He hadn't seen him since they went to the library to finish their summer homework together, after all.

"That's all?" Yukito is still smiling, though. "That's not good, Syaoran-kun. You should be enjoying your high school life more. Why don't you make more friends? Ah-or join a club?"

"No." The idea is shot down immediately. "It's a hassle. And I'm too busy with studying, anyway."

"You always use that excuse."

"Studying is important! Especially for me with Japanese literature, the kanji-!"

"Is different here than it is in Hong Kong!" His sentence is finished with Yukito singing along to it, and the older boy laughs heartily as Syaoran's face flushes red.

"Like I said," Yukito smiles. "You _always_ use that excuse."

"...I don't see why I need to be 'making more friends.'" Syaoran grumbles. " _Or_ joining a club. You didn't join any clubs when _you_ were a high school student, did you, Yukito-san?" He'd always been a substitute helper, but nothing more than that.

"Mm. You're right." Yukito nods, without any hesitation. "I didn't have many friends, either. But, you know…" He looks at Syaoran. "...Maybe that's why I want you to be able to do those things? So you can live what I missed out on."

Syaoran pauses, staring at Yukito. "...You…"

Then he huffs, turning his head away. "...Y-you're just trying to live another high

school life through me then, huh? Well, I won't let you."

"Ah. Was I found out?" Yukito laughs again, his voice echoing across the ocean, as Syaoran grumbles while wolfing down the last of his ice cream cone. The younger boy then stands, turning and beginning to walk back down the dock.

"Let's go!"

"Hey-wait, Syaoran-kun! I'm not done yet!"

"It's your fault for talking so much!"

"So _mean!_ " Another laugh, as the two leave the dock and continue on their way down the road. " _Oh-_ Syaoran-kun, your bag! You left your bag!"

"Huh? Oh!" Syaoran looks back to indeed see his bag, sitting on the end of the dock. "You're right. Hang on."

He leaves Yukito behind, jogging to where his bag lies, bending to pick it up. At the same time he does, though, he… sees something. It's almost like a flash-not the white foam of a wave, nor the gleam of the sun's reflection. No, it's… it almost looks… pink?

Syaoran squints to try and get a better look, but the flash is gone as soon as it came. Yukito calls out to him.

"Syaoran-kun! Is everything ok?"

"Ah… y-yeah. I'm coming." He jogs back to Yukito's side, matching his pace again as they walk together. "...Hey. Are there normally buoys, around here?"

"Hm?" Yukito looks at him. "Not to my knowledge… the fishing zones don't start until you're further out to sea, after all."

"...Huh." Syaoran frowns, but then lets the subject go with a shrug. It was probably a buoy that got unhinged, or maybe a glass bottle someone threw into the ocean. No need to dwell on it.

* * *

Syaoran didn't really know what his mother had been thinking, when she sent him to live in Nemukai.

To be fair, he _never_ knew what his mother was thinking. The woman was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. All he knew was that when he was ten years old, his mother sat him down, looked him straight in the eyes, and abruptly told him that he would be relocating from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, China to the quiet, seaside town of Nemukai, Japan. When he asked _why,_ she simply replied that it was 'for his growth,' which made even _less_ sense.

Despite his confusion, though, the move actually hadn't been all that difficult. He had been homeschooled back in China, after all, and was already fluent in Japanese when he arrived. Plus, he hadn't been alone, at first-Wei, his family attendant, had lived with him for the first two years. After that, his mother had deemed it appropriate for Wei to leave, and for Syaoran to live on his own. And ever since, Syaoran had lived on his own in the small seaside town, going back to Hong Kong for holidays and family gatherings.

"That's amazing, Syaoran-kun." He remembers Yukito saying those words when having him over for dinner on one of those early nights, back when he had first moved in. "To move to a different country by yourself… not many kids can do that, you know.

' _Yeah, and not many kids come from families where every last member is a lone wolf,'_ Syaoran remembers thinking to himself then, but of course he didn't say that at the time. "It's nothing much." Is what he had instead replied. And it really wasn't, he thought. He was used to his family's extreme tactics when it came to raising their young, and though sending their firstborn son to a different country 'for his growth' seemed a bit drastic, he'd been nothing if not adaptable. And in the end, it all came down to him. He cooked his own meals, set his own schedule, managed the monthly budget his family sent him on his own, and studied hard to get the good grades expected of him. A true lone wolf.

Just like his family had always wanted him to be.

...That being said… it wasn't as if he _hated_ Nemukai. Though it was no Hong Kong, there were more things to do than you'd think. There was a park, a small movie theater, a shopping center, and plenty of family-owned stores and restaurants. The docks were always bustling on flea market days, when everyone and their brother set out handmade and used goods for sale. The local school and college sometimes held festivals and other events. Not to mention, the ocean. You could walk the beach for hours, letting the foam of the sea tickle your toes, or just sit there, watching the waves.

* * *

No, Syaoran definitely didn't hate Nemukai. That was for certain.

"Speaking of waves…"

"Hm?" Syaoran looks up from his lunch, at the young man sitting across from him in the cafeteria. He's tall, with dark hair and eyes so thin they look closed, with a seemingly permanent smile on his face. "Waves?"

"About 50% of waves aren't caused by the moon's pull, but instead by the push of a tornado!" His companion says cheerily, holding up a finger in instruction. "It's one large tornado, that's continuously travelling around the earth. You never hear of tsunamis or riptides happening in more than one place at once, right? That's because they're all caused by this one tornado, on its neverending journey across the globe!"

"...Huh…" Syaoran blinks, invested. "You know a lot, Yamazaki."

"And that's not all! It's said that this tornado is the result of a _curse,_ wrought by an Egyptian god from long ago. The pharaoh at the time had been lazy and slothful, always complaining about the heat, even though he had been born in the desert. So he forced his subjects to constantly cool him with large fans, made from wood and cloth. The subjects took turns rotating out shifts to appease the pharaoh… and this 'rotation of wind' was where the concept of a 'tornado' was born…"

Yamazaki trails off, looking at Syaoran. The brunette is now less attentive, instead picking at his rice, preoccupied.

"...Something wrong, Li-kun?" He asks. "You're spacing out a bit."

"Hm?" Syaoran looks up. "Ah… it's nothing. Don't worry about me." He takes a bite of rice, filing that information Yamazaki told him about tornadoes away into his brain, in case he needs to use it later. "What do you think of the classes this year?"

"Well, Mr. Terada is still our homeroom teacher. I'm glad for that." Yamazaki accepts the change of subject, humming. "Our classes really haven't changed much, either."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Yamazaki chuckles. "Li-kun, you really should pay more attention to the people around you."

Syaoran huffs a bit, stuffing an octopus weiner into his mouth. Why is everyone nagging him about this today!?

"Ah, speaking of which… are you joining any clubs this year?"

This _again?_ "No. Too much hassle."

"Aww." Yamazaki frowns. "I was hoping you'd join the drama club with me and Yanagisawa-san."

"Yanasagiwa?"

"Ya-na-gi-sa-wa." he repeats. "Like I said, you need to pay more attention to the people around you. We see Yanagisawa-san every day!"

"Well, excuse me for not being a social butterfly like you." Syaoran takes another bite out of his lunch. "And what makes you think I'd make a suitable member of the _drama club?_ "

Yamazaki opens his mouth to retort, but then pauses. "...Mm." He nods, agreeing. "You're probably right."

"Hey."

Yamazaki laughs. Syaoran huffs, rolling his eyes.

"Still, I think you'd do well in a club. Any of the athletic clubs would be happy to have you." Yamazaki points out. "You're the fastest runner in our class, after all. And you have good reflexes. Maybe track and field would work? Or tennis..."

"No way. Like I said, it's a hassle. And I'm busy studying, anyway."

"You can't use the excuse 'the kanji is different from Hong Kong' much longer, Li-kun. You've lived here for over five years, now."  
Syaoran struggles to keep his eye from twitching. "It's not an excuse."

"Yeah, yeah." Yamazaki waves him off. "But, still. You keep saying that you 'need time to study,' but your grades have always been top-notch. So what's the big deal?"

"The big _deal,_ " Syaoran sighs, tiring of this conversation, "is that my family has _very high expectations,_ and I don't want to disappoint them."

Yamazaki frowns. "Hm…" He looks up at the sky. "...That's weird, too. You'd think that if your family had such high expectations, they'd send you to a higher-class private school than this one. I mean-Nemukai Prefectural is a good school, but it _is_ just a regular public one."

Syaoran says nothing. It _is_ strange, he thinks, how despite him being the supposed 'heir to the clan' and all, he was sent to live here in Nemukai, this small, Japanese seaside town. He _knows_ it's weird, but of course he won't say it aloud, lest the supposed wrath of his ancestors strike him.

"...Well," Yamazaki notes Syaoran's silence, and lets himself fall onto his back, looking up at the clouds, "it's not like I'm complaining. Are you?"

He glances at Yamazaki, then rolls his eyes. "...I'm not." He says. Yamazaki smiles at him.

"So, anyways." Then he sits back up just as quickly, holding up his finger again. "Back to the tornadoes… it's said that the only way to one day reverse the god's curse is- _ghk-_ "

He's interrupted by a thumb and forefinger pinching his ear and tugging it sharply. Syaoran looks up, blinking to see the culprit.

"What are you doing? Telling lies _again?_ " A brown-haired girl with twin braids stands above them, holding tight onto Yamazaki's ear as she grits her teeth. "And to Li-kun, no less! How many times do I have to tell you?!"

"Ah, Mihara-san." Bad with classmates' faces though he may be, Syaoran at least knows this person. "Good afternoon."

"Chiharu-chan!" Yamazaki laughs, cheerful despite his ear being ripped off. "What are you talking about? I'm just telling Li-kun about the origin of-"

"Don't listen to a single one of his lies." Chiharu cuts him off, giving Syaoran a stern look. "Ok?"

"H-huh?" Syaoran blinks, brows raising. "It was a lie?"

"It's _always_ a lie!" wails Chiharu, shaking Yamazaki furiously. "One of these days you're seriously going to mess Li-kun up with your lies, you idiot!"

"Ahahahahaha! _But…_ "

Syaoran simply watches as Yamazaki gets strangled by Chiharu, giving a small sigh through his nose as he finishes his lunch and tries not to admit his slight disappointment at that story being a lie.

"Pff-" Yukito snorts as he bursts into laughter. "T-that really happened?!"

"It's no laughing matter." Syaoran sighs. "I'm worried that one day, Mihara-san will actually strangle Yamazaki to death."

After school had let out for the day, Syaoran and Yukito met up at their usual spot on the road home from school to walk back together. Syaoran wasn't sure when this became routine-just that, somehow, it always had been. Perhaps it was simply natural, since they lived right next door to each other. On their way back, Yukito had suggested that they buy taiyaki ("In _spring?_ " Syaoran had protested), and now the two were sitting at the same dock from that morning as they ate, Syaoran telling Yukito all that had happened on his first day back at school.

"Still, that's a shame," Yukito chuckles, "I would have loved to see Syaoran-kun in a play."

"Absolutely not." Syaoran scowls, biting into the head of his taiyaki. "Besides, our school's drama club is always doing weird plays. I don't want to be involved in that."

"You think?" He smiles wider. "I think it'd be fun."

"You think _everything's_ fun." Syaoran sighs in reply, looking out to sea. The sun is lower in the sky now, the waves calmer, as low tide comes in. "...Hey," he asks, offhandedly, recalling the sight he saw this morning. "Has there been more litter than usual, lately?"

"Hm?" Yukito blinks, already on his third taiyaki. "I don't think so…" He swallows, also looking out. "The town's pretty strict about litter, after all. Why do you ask?"

"No reason… I just thought I saw something shiny this morning. Like glass, or something."

Yukito squints. "I don't see anything…" He hums. "...Maybe it was a buoy? Ah, but this isn't a fishing area… and buoys aren't reflective… hm." He tilts his head back and forth. "...A fish, maybe?"

"What kind of fish would reflect light?" Syaoran snorts, raising a brow.

"There are lots of different fish in the sea!" His friend beams. "Big fish, little fish… shiny fish, colorful fish… even fish that light up in the dark!" He polishes off another taiyaki as he speaks.

"Fish wouldn't come so close to the surface, though." Syaoran points out. "Would they?"

"Maybe they're curious?"

"Curious?"

"Mm." Yukito nods, then gets a big smile. "Maybe they're trying to say: 'Syaoran-kun, Syaoran-kun! Come and play with us!'"

Syaoran shudders, standing up fast. "S-stop-that's creepy! And fish don't _talk!_ "

"Ahahaha!" Yukito laughs loudly in response, amused. "How do you know? There's fish that light up, and fish bigger than buildings-maybe there are talking fish, too!"

"You're being a moron-rrr, take that!" Syaoran throws his half-eaten taiyaki at Yukito, huffing loudly as he grabs his bag and storms away.

"Ah-Syaoran-kun!" Yukito chuckles more. He looks down at the half-eaten taiyaki he caught, only the tail remaining. Laughing softly, he runs off after Syaoran. "Wait up!"

Syaoran turns around, glaring. "I'm not waiting for a creep like-"

And then he sees it. Not Yukito, running towards him-but something else. A flash of pink, a splash of water, as something submerges itself into the ocean, drops of water flying up after it before returning to whence they came.

"...Did-did you see that?"

"See what?" Yukito reaches him, blinking. "...Syaoran-kun?"

"See that- _hear_ that?" Syaoran walks past Yukito, squinting as he tries to look further across the ocean, squinting at where he saw the light. It's completely gone now, but he swears he can still see a few ripples, where it was. "Something was going underwater. There was a splash, it…" He looks at Yukito, frowning. "You didn't hear anything?"

"...Well, 'splashes' are normal, when you're by the ocean…" Yukito squints too, though, trying to look. "...I don't see anything, though."

Syaoran's brow furrows, as his frown deepens. ...Was it his imagination? But he really thought that… "...N-never mind. Probably… just the light." He shrugs, and hurries ahead, down the road. "Let's go, Yukito-san. It's going to get dark if we just hang around like this."

"Ah, wait-Syaoran-kun! Your taiyaki…" Yukito holds up the half-eaten taiyaki Syaoran threw, but he's already far ahead. "..." He looks at the taiyaki tail. After a brief pause, he simply puts it into his mouth instead, running to catch up with his neighbor.

Neither of them notice the emerald eyes peeking out of the water, following them until they're out of sight, before disappearing under the water again.

* * *

Deep under the waves, she gulps, trying to catch her breath. She wasn't spotted, right? She wasn't, right? It doesn't seem like she was… ahh, her heart won't stop this pounding. But she can't help it—she had to see him again. She'd been peeking out of the water all day for hours, in the hopes he would return—and finally, _finally,_ he did. She even learned his _name._ Such a wonderful, kind-sounding name…

She puts her hands on her cheeks in an effort to cool herself down, sighing dreamily. This isn't good is it? But she… she can't seem to get him out of her mind. Ah, but she needs to be getting back. Brother will be getting worried if she's late to dinner, and she can't let him know she ventured out here alone.

Shaking her head, short honey-colored hair swirling around her, she swings around and dives. Dives deeper into the blue depths, a scaly, shimmering, cherry blossom pink tail with one large fin propelling her. The whole way down, she keeps repeating his name. Again and again, almost like a prayer, to ensure she doesn't forget it.

" _Yukito-san."_


	3. He was like a prince

_Yukito-san._

 _Yukito-san._

 _Yukito-san…_

" _Sakura!"_

Her thoughts are interrupted by an irritated voice next to her head.

She yelps, turning to look at her companion with wide green eyes. "H—huh?!"

"Finally, you're listening!" A round face with fins on either side of it, a fish's tail with white fins on the end that almost resemble wings. The tiny, bright yellow creature next to her definitely isn't any kind of fish, nor human. "Turn around, you missed the path home by a long shot!"

"What?!" She gasps, and swiftly turns around, narrowly missing the creature with her fin as she does so. "Y-you're right! I'm sorry, Kero!"

"We're going to be late to dinner at this rate!" The creature, Kero, whines. "Your father will be worried! And your _brother—"_

"It's fine, it's fine!" Sakura assures as they speed through the waters. "Father said he'd be a little late to dinner since he has a meeting! And it's not like Brother can do anything besides scold me…"

"Yeah, for _you!"_ Kero cries. "But the _last_ time I had you home late, he ordered the kitchen staff to cut off my desserts for _two weeks!"_

"You eat too much anyways, so it's fine!"

" _What was that?!"_

Sakura giggles as they dive deeper into the depths. Kero lets out a sigh.

"Jeez… why did you even _want_ to go to the surface?" He frowns. "We were up there for hours, and I didn't see anything interesting enough to catch your eye."

"Yes, you did!" She huffs. "Remember? _Him?"_

Kero stares blankly. "Him?"

"The _human!"_ She says. "The one with the strange things on his face, and the gray hair, and his eyes, and the _smile…_ " A dreamy sigh escapes her lips, and she almost seems to float as she swims. Kero doesn't look any more informed.

"Yeah, no offense," he says, dryly, "but once I saw a _human,_ I was already deep under the surface, hiding. Like _you,_ " he gives her a look, glaring, _"should have been."_

"It was _fine!"_ Sakura pouts. "We were really far out—he didn't _see_ us!"

"That doesn't matter!" Kero snaps. "When you see a human, you _hide!_ Do you have any idea how much trouble I'd be in if you—"

"Ah, we're home!"

" _Are you listening to me?!"_

Deeper than any diver would dare to venture, in the blackest depths of the ocean, a light suddenly begins to shine. First one, then three, then hundreds. A smile begins to spread over Sakura's face as she takes in the sight of sparkling houses built into coral reefs, towers made from seaglass, luminescent seaweed growing up the walls of buildings. Countless people just like her swim down the currents, greeting one another, tending their shops or gardens. Sakura and Kero swim strategically, weaving in the shadows of buildings, through tunnels in the reefs, staying completely out of sight as they head to their destination. They plunge into a cave near the bottom of one reef, maneuvering easily through the darkness, and come out the other side to find their home in front of them.

A shining turquoise castle towers above, blazing against the shadow of the deep seas. The towers are made from seaglass, the balconies studded with pearls. The whole palace glints and glimmers on its own, despite the light of the surface having no way of reaching this far down.

Sakura smiles, diving down to the palace, easily avoiding the eyes of the patrolling guards above. Despite the hugeness of the castle, there's almost never more than three guards outside at a time—something Sakura should be thankful for, she supposes. Without being detected, she slips into an open window of the castle, into a hall of silver. She looks around, letting out a small sigh of relief.

"See?" She tells Kero, smiling. "Back home safe, on time, and unseen."

"My Lady?"

Sakura opens her mouth to scream, but luckily, Kero is already covering her mouth.

"Calm _down,_ it's fine!" He hisses, and Sakura looks up, her shoulders relaxing when she sees who the caller is.

The mermaid before her is slim and delicate, her pale skin contrasting against long, wavy hair that is dark as the bottom of the sea. Gentle, long-lashed, violet eyes look at Sakura with worry. What stands out, though, is her tail—rather than the long, scaly tail and fin Sakura has, this mermaid's lower half almost seems to resemble a ball gown. The bell-shaped form is an almost luminescent lavender, with countless white wisps trailing out from beneath.

"Tomoyo!" Sakura sighs in relief, darting over to the mermaid and hugging her, while being careful to avoid the tentacles under her skirt—she's been shocked by the jellyfish wisps before. "You scared me!"

"I'm very sorry, my La—"

" _Sakura."_ Sakura corrects, looking at her with a pout. "I always tell you to call me 'Sakura,' right?"

Tomoyo smiles, her lips curling up in a soft, serene gesture that seems to light up her entire face. Even her skirt almost seems to glow with warmth.

"...I'm very sorry for startling you, Sakura," she corrects herself. "But what were you doing? I haven't seen you about the palace all day."

"I was out!" Sakura replies cheerfully.

"She was _sneaking_ out," Kero elaborates dryly.

"My." Tomoyo blinks. "Sneaking out again?"

"I had a _reason!"_ She cries in defense. "Listen, Tomoyo! I was up there today, and—and I saw something amazing. Some _one_ amazing!"

Tomoyo looks concerned, though. "Up there… you mean, the surface? If the Prince finds out…"

"It doesn't _matter_ what my brother finds out!" Wails Sakura. "Listen, I—"

And then, a hand on her head.

" _What_ doesn't matter I find out?"

Sakura's heart stops. Kero lets out a long, terrified whine.

Slowly, she looks up to see the figure she was most hoping _not_ to meet here. Before her, a very tall merman is holding her in place so she can't escape. His torso is fit and his skin is tanned, short dark hair floating around his head. He wears a thin layer of silver armor on his shoulders, a silver chain going across his chest to connect the two shoulder pieces, and his tail is a similar color to Sakura's, if not more reddish in color, with spines lining the back, up to his fin. He glares down at her with dark, unimpressed eyes.

Sakura gulps. "B-Brother…"

"Don't let me stop your conversation." He says, voice unnervingly flat. "What is it that it just does _not_ matter I find out?"

"U—um." She fumbles, mouth (ironically) dry. "That's… um… y-you see—"

"Prince Touya!" Kero cuts in, a big, nervous smile adorning his face. "Fancy seeing you here! Didn't you have combat practice today? Or, haha, was that yesterday? See, you're lookin' so fit, I just can't tell when—"

"Was I talking to you, Cerberus?"

Kero gulps, just like Sakura did. Touya keeps glaring at the young mermaid, as she fidgets under his gaze.

"...Um…" Sakura stammers, mind racing to try and come up with some excuse. "I… I was just… I mean—Kero and I were…"

"If you'll pardon my interruption, my Prince…"

Simultaneously, all three look to Tomoyo, who is smiling sweetly as she takes Sakura's arm.

"My Lady was requesting that I visit her room tonight, for a sleepover." She begins to explain, voice soft and calm. "Of course, I was saying that her request may be difficult, as I have chores to perform later this evening, and that I was afraid that your Grace and my Highness would be upset with me if I were to shirk my duties. However, my Lady was very insistent, saying that it did 'not matter' what your Grace found out… I apologize, my Prince." She gives a sweeping curtsy, lifting her jellyfish bell skirt as she does so. "I fear that my words have created a misunderstanding."

Touya stares at Tomoyo, unblinking. Both Sakura and Kero look at her as if she is an angel, a demon, and their savior all rolled into one. When Touya looks at them, however, they quickly begin nodding frantically to agree with her. There is a long pause, during which Touya seems to weigh the truth of Tomoyo's words.

"...The window is open." He notes, nodding towards the still-open window.

"The water felt stale," Tomoyo explains smoothly, "so I opened the window to let in the current." This, at least, isn't a lie—she truly had opened the window for this purpose, it just so happened to be the same window that Sakura came in through.

Touya hums, eyes narrowing. Another long silence persists, and Sakura can feel her sweat mixing with the saltwater.

...Finally… Touya moves. He swims to the window, grabbing the handles and closing it back up tight.

"...Tomoyo." He says.

"Yes, my Prince?" Tomoyo answers.

"Don't worry about your cleaning detail for tonight." He doesn't look up, as he speaks. "And Sakura… don't go trying to hide things from me, you kraken. You're not any good at it."

With that, he turns, swimming back down the hall and out of sight.

"...Was he scolding you, or being nice by letting Tomoyo stay over tonight?" Kero mutters, frowning. "I can never tell, with him."

"That was close…" Sakura sighs in relief, hugging Tomoyo. "Thank you, Tomoyo! I'm sorry you had to lie for me…" Tomoyo simply gives a lighthearted chuckle in response.

"Please don't worry about it, Sakura." She reassures. "Besides, it all worked out rather well in the end, didn't it? The Prince didn't find out about your little 'outing,' and we also secured my permission to stay in your room tonight." Her expression falters. "But I do feel guilty, leaving my chores to enjoy myself with your Loveliness…"

Sakura shakes her head. "Don't worry about it!" She insists, holding Tomoyo's hands. "I'll help you make up all of the chores tomorrow."

"But Sakura—"

"I _insist!"_ Sakura doesn't let Tomoyo finish, squeezing her hands. "Besides, you work too hard, Tomoyo! You're always doing more than you should." She huffs. "In fact, we should make Brother do your chores instead. That would teach everyone not to take you for granted!"

Tomoyo's eyes soften, and a gentle smile finally lights up her features again. "...I would feel guilty to force my chores upon Prince Touya," she admits, "but… I think I would enjoy my work even more, if you were there helping me." She giggles, a soft, musical lilt that seems to fill the hall. "Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura smiles wide, her heart bubbling with happiness at seeing Tomoyo's smile. As Sakura's lady-in-waiting, Tomoyo was no miser herself, coming from a more-than-noble background. Her mother was a distant relative of the late Queen, and her lineage had served to accompany and support the women of the royal family throughout the years. Yet despite this storied history, Tomoyo was the humblest of mermaids Sakura had ever knew. Sakura also thought to herself frequently that Tomoyo was far more suited to be a princess than she was. Her beauty was unrivaled in Sakura's eyes, and her jellyfish tail resembled a princess's sweeping ball gown. She excelled at everything from singing, to studies, to sewing. She was soft-spoken, polite, and gentle to all who knew her—and ever since they were babies, she had not merely Sakura's lady-in-waiting, but her companion, her best friend.

...She could only think of one possible vice that Tomoyo could have.

"Ah… this sleepover is right on time, actually!" And as if on cue, Tomoyo holds up their linked hands as she beams. "I only just finished my latest project, so I can make the final adjustments while you wear it tonight!"

Sakura feels herself begin to sweat, again. "W—what?"

"You remember, don't you? The piece with the coral accents? I thought it really needed something extra, so I added a train to the back! I simply _have_ to see it on you as soon as I can—it will look just dazzling! A glimmering train of coral, trailing after Her Loveliness as she swims through the reefs…" Tomoyo lets out a dreamy sigh, as she lets herself drift.

A nervous laugh escapes Sakura's lips, as Kero nags her to leave, or she'll be late for dinner. Though Tomoyo is a prodigy when it comes to the thread and needle… her only vice is that the only model she'll sew for is Sakura.

Though Sakura is counting the minutes until she can get up to her room and tell Tomoyo everything, the fact remains that she has to go to dinner, first. She manages to make it into the dining hall just as the servants are finishing with dinner's set up. The hall is spacious, glittering, portraits lining the walls, the ceiling holding up a chandelier of glowing pearls. Despite the grandness of the hall, though, the long dining table only has three spaces set. Though Sakura's seat, as well as the seat at the head of the table is still empty, Touya is already sitting at the table, taking a bite out of one of the numerous colorful fish dishes spread out before him.

"Brother!" Sakura cries, swimming over so quickly that the current ruffles the maid's hair, "you can't eat before everyone's seated!"

"I'm eating on time. You're the one that's late." Touya gives her a look, taking another bite of squid.

"That's…" She can't come up with an argument, so instead she smiles at the attending maid. "S-sorry for being late, Rika!"

"Please don't worry, My Lady," The maid, a young mermaid with an orange tail and short brown hair, smiles kindly. "I only just finished setting out dinner. I hope you enjoy."

"It looks delicious!" Sakura's eyes shine, as she looks out at all of the beautiful seafood dishes.

"His Highness is running a little late," Rika apologizes, "his meeting has run a little late. But he said that you are free to start without him."

Sakura shakes her head, though. "I'll wait." She smiles. She knows how important family dinners are to everyone in her family—even Touya, though he started early, seems to eat his food as slowly as possible.

"I _won't."_ Kero huffs, and immediately darts to the biggest crab dish he can find, stuffing a large portion of the meat into his mouth. _"Mm!_ Delicious!"

Rika chuckles. "I'm glad you enjoy, Cerberus." She says, turning and swimming away. "I'll leave you to your dinner. Please call upon me if you need anything—oh!"

As she departs the hall, Rika almost bumps into someone. "Y—" she yelps. "Y—Your Highness Fujitaka!" Sakura's gaze immediately shoots upwards, her eyes lighting up.

The figure before Rika is tall and broad-shouldered, but with a surprisingly gentle face. His chest is adorned with chains of shining coral and silver, with one translucent aqua-colored jewel clasp holding them all together. His tail is not pink like Sakura's, nor coral like Touya's—instead, it is a brilliant red, the scales catching the light, glinting. Spines, far larger than the ones Touya has, line the back of his tail, all the way down to his wide, sweeping fin. His short, chestnut colored hair partially masks eyes of the same color—eyes that are wide with surprise, at having almost bumped into the young maid.

"Ah—" The large merman frets for a moment. "I'm very sorry, Miss Rika! Please excuse me…" He allows Rika to pass, then hurries to the table, visibly frazzled. He must have been in a hurry. "I'm so sorry I'm late!"

"Welcome back, Father!" Sakura smiles wide. "How was the meeting?"

"It went well." Fujitaka smiles back, his own smile just as kind as his daughter's. "But apparently a storm will be approaching in the coming week, so the Atlantic's emissary will be staying until his path home is clear."

"Is that necessary?" Touya raises a brow. "If the storm's a week out, he could just leave now and find shelter at a settlement on his way."

Fujitaka shakes his head. "But what if he was far in between settlements? I wouldn't wish that uncertainty on anyone."

"That's because you're kind, Father." Sakura giggles. Her father's eyes soften, as he chuckles.

"It's not a matter of kindness." He takes a bite of lobster, swallowing before continuing. "...I simply try to do what Nadeshiko would have done."

Simultaneously, all three of them glance upwards, at what is easily the largest portrait hanging in the hall. It depicts a stunning mermaid, long, dark hair surrounding her pale body and even paler, pure white tail. Her collar is adorned with countless pearls, all held together by the same aqua-colored clasp Fujitaka wears now. She smiles down upon them, her green eyes twinkling with life, despite only existing within the canvas.

Sakura's identical green eyes shine back, as she smiles.

"I'm sure Mother is happy." She nods. "After all, Father is such a kind king!"

Fujitaka chuckles, blushing a bit. "I'm glad you think so." Then he hums, looking up at the portrait again. "Perhaps I should have the portrait changed again…"

"You're going to break the servants' backs," Touya warns, "with how frequently you're changing Mom's portraits."

"Can you blame him, though?" Sakura huffs. "She's got so many beautiful portraits!"

"If the servants ever tire of changing it, then I'll just start doing it myself." Fujitaka laughs lightheartedly.

"Anyways—" Kero then interrupts, finally swallowing the chunk of crab he had been working on. "What's this about a storm? Will it be a big one?"

"I don't know about that. But we got word of it from some passing merchants, coming from the opposite end." The king smiles at Kero. "They said it didn't look too bad, but that it would likely be more powerful by the time it reaches us. So I'll be putting out the necessary warnings to the public." He looks at Sakura. "Make sure the windows of your room are locked when it arrives, alright? I'd hate for a current to sweep in and injure you."

"Don't worry!" Sakura nods. "I'll make sure all the windows are bolted tight!"

" _Besides!"_ Kero cuts in again, puffing his chest as he swims over to Sakura. "If any nasty current _does_ try to harm our Princess, you can count on me protecting her with everything I've got!"

"Yeah," Touya says dryly, "because a 6-inch-tall sea rat is going to be of any help." Kero lets out a scandalized yelp at that.

"Deity!" He cries, enraged as he flies close to Touya's face, baring his tiny fangs. "I am a sea _deity!_ You _dare_ speak to _me_ like that?!"

"I don't see any deities here," the prince doesn't let up, "just a sea rat that's about five seconds away from not getting any dessert."

Kero gasps in horror.

"Now, now." Fujitaka chuckles. "Come on, Touya. You should be kinder to Cerberus." He smiles at Kero. "He's been protecting our family for millennia, after all."

" _See?!"_ Kero points, huffing. _"He_ gets it! You're never going to be a good King if you don't pay the great Deity of the Seas the proper respect!"

"You're only the deity of the Pacific Sea, though…" Sakura interjects.

"The Pacific Sea is the _biggest!"_ Kero wails.

"You'd think the Pacific Sea's deity would be more dignified." Touya mutters, stabbing the last piece of Kero's crab with one pointed nail, popping it into his mouth. Kero lets out a screech that sounds, ironically, like that of a dying sea rat.

Sakura laughs, her heart light as she enjoys eating with her family. Despite how busy her father is with being the King of the Pacific, he always, _always_ makes sure they eat dinner together. And she wouldn't have it any other way, she thinks. Though they are the royal family, it's the 'family' she's always respected, before all else. Though her mother is gone, she's never once been lonely. How could she be?

Once every plate is cleaned (many of them by Kero), Fujitaka sighs.

"Well," he laments, "I hate to leave, but… I think I should check to ensure the emissary is comfortable, then go to bed. I've had meetings all day." He looks at his children. "Will you two be going to bed, as well?"

"I'm going to go to the grounds with Yue." Touya wipes his mouth with a cloth. "I wanted to practice my lancing a little more."

"I'm going to bed!" Sakura grins. "Tomoyo is sleeping over!"

"Ah, she is?" Fujitaka smiles. "Please have fun, the two of you. I'll send orders to the chef to bring you two some snacks later in the night." He looks at Touya. "And Touya, please give Yue my regards, as well."

"Mm. Will do." Touya nods, a fraction of a smile tugging at his lips as he straightens up, swimming off.

"I'll get going too, then!" Sakura swims over to her father, hugging him before swimming off as she waves goodbye, Kero following close behind

Fujitaka watches his daughter depart, a gentle smile gracing his features. He looks up at the portrait of the late Queen once more, his gaze soft, loving.

"She becomes more and more like you every day," he murmurs. "Doesn't she, Nadeshiko?"

* * *

"So, like I said— _ow!"_

"Ah, I'm sorry." Tomoyo looks up. "Too tight?"

"J-just a little…" Tomoyo loosens the waist in response, and Sakura lets out a sigh of relief. The two are in Sakura's chambers; a large, circular room with marble floors, a huge and fluffy bed that resembles a nest with the number of cushions it has, and an area by the windows with a small table and chairs, where their snacks are set out—with Kero fast asleep, on a cushion next to an empty plate. Sakura has her back straight and her arms out as Tomoyo fits her in the promised coral-encrusted dress, and she tries not to look at herself in the full length mirror—while the dress is absolutely beautiful, she always feels a little embarrassed, seeing herself wearing them.

"It looks absolutely _lovely,_ Sakura." Tomoyo gushes, giving Sakura another once-over. "I was so worried the coral's color would clash with your scales, but it seems my worries were unfounded. Well, of course they were—" She beams, eyes glowing with glee. "Everything Sakura wears is absolutely adorable, after all!"

"I-I think that's going too far…" Sakura glances at herself in the mirror, though, allowing herself to take in her reflection for a moment. The dress really is beautiful. "...Thank you, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo smiles, cheerful. "So," she says, "where were you, in your story?"

"Oh, right!" Sakura jumps, thoughts returning to what she had been telling Tomoyo. "Um, where was I…"

"You were going out on a swim to refresh yourself…" Tomoyo reminds, closing a stitch.

"Ah, right! And—"

"And you were suddenly struck with the _irresistible_ urge to poke your head above the surface."

"Right, that was when—huh?" Sakura blinks, looking at Tomoyo. "Did I get to that part yet?"

"No," the jellymaid smiles, "but your stories always take that twist."

Sakura gulps. "...D-do they?"

"They do." Tomoyo adjusts the dress' train, humming softly. "You need to be careful, you know? The surface is dangerous… I can understand the Prince's concern, in a way."

Sakura averts her eyes, feeling a bit guilty, unable to come up with a good response. She really doesn't have an excuse, she never does. But it wasn't as if she was specifically trying to rebel, either. It was just that for as long as she could remember, she had been fascinated with the surface. It was like an addiction, in a way. Despite her brother's stern warnings, Kero's whining for her to hurry home, she always ended up swimming upwards in the end, as if the sun above was beckoning her.

Before she can get too lost in her guilt over this curiosity, though, Sakura feels Tomoyo tugging on her hands. Slowly, they move to the bed, sitting down side by side.

"...So?" Tomoyo smiles, encouraging. "What happened, at the surface?"

As if Tomoyo cast a spell, Sakura immediately perks up.

"W-well," she says, sending a quick glance to the table, to make sure he's still asleep. "I was at the surface, right? And I was just _looking,_ really. You know—at the beach, the sky, the plants… when I heard footsteps coming. So of course, I hid! I ducked underwater, with Kero."

Tomoyo nods. "Yes… and?"

"I-it's not really an 'and.'" Sakura bites her lip. "Rather, it's… a… 'but?'"

A short pause follows, where Tomoyo's brow furrows. Then it hits her, and her eyes widen in alarm.

"...Sakura." Her voice is full of concern. "You didn't…"

"I-it was just for a moment!" Sakura waves her hands, defensively. "A-and I was _really_ far out—they didn't see me, I'm sure! I promise!"

Tomoyo has to take a deep breath, worry lining her face. "Ok," she finally says. "So you looked up… and?"

Sakura tries to weigh how worried Tomoyo looks, before she continues. Once she's sure Tomoyo isn't _too_ shaken, she continues.

"I looked up, and… there was a human." She pauses. "Oh. Two humans, actually? They were sitting on that… that thing. You know, the ledge that humans leave their machines by? And they were eating, too! These colorful treats, that melted in the sun. Ah—but that isn't the point. The point is…"

She goes quiet. Recalling the sight makes her blush.

"...Is?" Tomoyo prods.

"...The human there… he… he was really tall. And he had grayish hair, and these really bright eyes, and these weird things, on his face." She makes circles around her eyes using her thumbs and forefingers, to mimic them. "His smile was… really wonderful. And his _laugh…"_ She sighs dreamily, flopping onto her back against the bedsheets.

Tomoyo listens to Sakura's words, taking them in. "He sounds very handsome," she comments.

"He was. _Is!"_ Sakura sits up again, straightening her back as her eyes gleam. "He didn't stay long, he ate his food and then left. But I… I really, _really_ wanted to see him again. So I hung around the surface, at that same spot, all day. I stayed under, but kept listening, looking out. Kero thought I was insane!"

"Your brother would be _furious_ if he found this out, Sakura." Tomoyo reminds gently.

"I _know._ But…" Sakura sighs. "...You know those storybooks Auntie Sonomi read to us, when we were younger? With the princes that had glimmering tails, that came to sweep away the princesses."

Tomoyo nods.

"Well… it…" She feels her face heat up, and Sakura has to put her hands on her cheeks to hide them. "It felt like… like _he_ was one of those princes. Is—is that strange?"

There's a very prolonged silence, longer than any of the ones from before. Sakura feels her heart pound faster, and she gulps. Tomoyo… she wouldn't tell Touya about this, would she? She knows Tomoyo, _trusts_ her. But this really must sound crazy, right? Nervously, she peeks upwards, to try and read her expression.

She's met with Tomoyo's violet eyes boring into her, focused. They don't look harsh, or judging, or condemning in the least. Rather, they are filled with a gentle warmth.

"...I… have known you for a long time, Sakura," Tomoyo says, voice quiet. "But I think this is the first time you have ever made this face."

She smiles, eyes sparkling.

"It's a very cute face. One of a girl in love, I think."

Sakura stares. Her heart skips a beat, then another, until it feels like it's fluttering.

"...You—" she takes Tomoyo's hands. "You don't think I'm crazy? Or strange?" Tomoyo shakes her head.

"Not in the least." She assures, her smile widening. "The heart wants what the heart wants, does it not?"

Sakura's entire expression seems to light up, like the stars in the sky. She jumps on Tomoyo, hugging her tight.

" _Thank you!"_ She laughs, cheeks pink. Tomoyo giggles softly, hugging her back.

"You don't have to thank me. I'm your lady-in-waiting… and your best friend, right?" She nods. "It's my job to support you, no matter what. Especially in love. Ah…" She pauses. "But you… _should_ keep this from the Prince. If he found out…"

"He'd freak out. He'd lock me up. I'd be grounded forever!" Sakura nods fervently.

Tomoyo chuckles. "I'm glad you understand the risks. But…" She looks at her, and suddenly looks a bit somber. "Sakura. You know that this…" She hesitates, trying to choose her words carefully. "I mean… the storybooks we read were sweet, but… those were _merfolk._ And… I'm sure you remember the stories we read about merfolk and _humans…"_

"I know." Sakura nods. Stories of lost voices, legs that felt as if they were full of glass, betrayal, loss, rejection, turning to foam. She knew the stories well, and feared them. They served as warnings to their kind, to stay away from the surface, to never interact with humans. "But, Tomoyo…

"When I saw him, I… I didn't think of _any_ of that." She feels exhilarated, just recalling it. "All I could focus on was—was _him."_

Tomoyo listens carefully, and the more she hears, the more she smiles.

"What is his name?" She asks.

"I heard the other human say it! It was… 'Yukito-san.'"

"Yukito… san?" Tomoyo hums. "How strange."

"Right?" Sakura tilts her head. "Maybe it's a human sort of name?"

"Maybe. Will you see him again?" Sakura nods in reply.

"I want to." She huffs. "So, so much."

"Then," Tomoyo bows humbly, her black hair flowing with the movement, "please allow me to accompany you, when you do.

"I would like nothing more than to see more of your wonderful expressions, when you see him again."

Sakura smiles, feeling warmth envelope her chest. For all of Tomoyo's quirks, she's never been anything but supportive. She's gentle, and sweet, and encouraging. She takes Tomoyo's hands again, squeezing them.

"I can't wait to show you." Her voice gets excited, as she speaks. "You'll love feeling the sun on your skin, though it feels a bit prickly and dry at first, you get used to it, and it's _so_ nice! And there are fish around the surface we don't see down here, that are _really_ tasty—honestly, I'm pretty sure _they're_ the reason Kero hasn't tattled on me to Father yet. And once you see Yukito-san, you'll understand, why he's so wonderful! Like, while I was listening, I heard him talk about…"

Sakura keeps chatting and chatting, going on and on about the surface to Tomoyo, who listens with a smile, her expression also seeming to lift the more Sakura talks. It's hard to be lethargic in the girl's company, after all.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kero listens silently from his cushion across the room, one eye open as he watches them, a frown on his face.

This can't possibly be good, right? It's been centuries since this occured. And for it to be occurring to the princess of the Pacific…

He should go to the king's chambers tonight, once Sakura is asleep. Warn Fujitaka, increase the princess's guard, to make sure she can't slip out as easily. He's been too lenient, allowing her to go up to the surface, even if she _does_ have the Deity of the Pacific watching after her. Yes, that's what he should do. Make sure she can't chase this silly fantasy to the degree she could get hurt…

"And, Tomoyo, listen—they were eating these treats that _look_ like fish, but really _aren't!_ Isn't that strange? I mean, why would you make something that looked like a fish, if it wasn't? Maybe it's because they wish they could eat fish, too? But then…"

An abrupt twinge at Kero's heartstrings tugs him out of his thoughts.

...Well…

...Maybe it will be ok, to leave this be for a little longer. It can't hurt, right? His protection alone should be enough, for now. Making up his mind, Kero sighs through his nose, turning over in his 'sleep' as he continues to listen in on Sakura's blabbering about the surface.

He's sure everything will be fine. He's the Deity of the Pacific, after all—no harm will come to his princess, under his watch.

* * *

Deep down, deeper than where the palace lies, deeper than the darkest blacks of the ocean, a crystal ball shines, underneath a pale hand.

"It seems that the time has come." The hand's owner murmurs.

A stirring to the left, from across the room, then a hum.

"Time for what?"

"Time for the gears of fate to turn, of course. It seems everything is in place. All I have to do is flip the final switch, as it were."

A snort, from the other end of the room.

"You're as cryptic as ever."

"Maybe so. But don't worry." A soft chuckle, as the crystal ball in the center of the room dims underneath the owner's hand. "You'll see, soon."

The figure on the left hums again, curious, while the figure on the right sighs, shaking their head.

"Whatever you say, Witch of the Sea."


	4. There's no such thing as magic

It feels like he's being watched, lately.

It's not always, Syaoran knows that. He doesn't consider himself the paranoid type at all. But he _is_ sensitive to his surroundings, so it doesn't take long for him to realize that someone has been watching.

"Let's go through the park today."

"Huh? Again?" Yukito looks up at Syaoran's words, curiosity filling his topaz eyes. The two are walking to school as usual, the springtime sun warming the air around them, some white clouds drifting in the distance. "You've wanted to take a lot of detours lately, Syaoran-kun."

Syaoran simply shrugs in response. "Is it so wrong to want a change of pace?"

In reality, Syaoran's been doing all he can to take those detours. Rather, it's more like he's just been trying to avoid them passing the docks they usually sit by on their way to and from their schools. For some reason, those docks are the place that he feels that strange gaze the most. No matter how much he looks, though, he can't tell _where_ it's coming from. He knows it's not coming from the road. But on the other hand, the only thing out in the ocean are boats on the far horizon, and fish. That's why it feels so unsettling-the fact that he _knows_ he's being watched, he just doesn't know from _where._ If there's one thing Syaoran hates, it's the unknown. So the kneejerk reaction was to simply avoid the docks, until whatever ( _who_ ever, he reminds himself) is watching them gets bored and stops.

The only reason Syaoran hasn't told Yukito about this, is because _his_ first reaction would probably be to try and _make friends_ with the stalker.

Thus, the detours. It's not like the extra ten minutes through the park inconveniences either of them—in fact, Syaoran's pretty sure Yukito has been enjoying them, given the fact that there's a crepe stand on the park's pathway.

"Want a bite, Syaoran-kun?" Yukito smiles, offering said extra-large crepe to Syaoran. "It's strawberry!"

"I'll pass." Syaoran replies dryly, biting into his much smaller chocolate crepe.

It briefly occurs to him how bizarre this scene must look to the average bypasser; two boys, one a high schooler and the other a college student, walking down the street and eating crepes, despite it being eight in the morning. Maybe it would seem a bit more normal if they looked even vaguely related… but there's no chance anyone would ever make that assumption, he thinks. They look nothing alike. Yukito is tall, almost elegant-looking, with pale skin, neat gray hair, topaz eyes and a smile that seems to calm everyone within a half-mile radius. Syaoran, on the other hand, is his practical opposite. A little on the shorter side, permanently tanned skin, brown hair that's always tousled no matter how long he brushes it, fiery amber irises, and a glare that made a kid in the park cry once. (He didn't _mean_ to, he was just startled by the kid crashing into him.) And yet here they are, walking to school, chatting and eating crepes wrapped in flowery pink foil. Despite how ridiculous he's sure it must look, Syaoran knows by now that it's completely normal for both of them.

"Do you want to come to my place for dinner, tonight?" Yukito's voice brings him out of his thoughts, as they walk up the park's road. "I'm making curry rice!"

"What?" Syaoran frowns, raising a brow. "How can you eat curry rice in this heat?"

"I'm just in the mood for it." Yukito tilts his head. "You don't want any?"

"I'll come," He sighs, "If only just to make sure you don't pass out from heatstroke."

"Such a kind neighbor." A chuckle.

"Shut u—" Syaoran's rebuttal is cut off by the sound of his phone ringing, loudly. "...Huh?"

What? Who's calling him? Yukito's right next to him, and Yamazaki always texts… oh no. What day is it? His eyes dart to the date on the park bulletin board, the phone still ringing.

"Syaoran-kun?" Yukito blinks. "Aren't you going to answer that?"

Today is Thursday, but tomorrow is… oh _no._ Could the call be coming a day early? Or worse, did he just get the day wrong?! There's no way… Syaoran gulps, throat dry. No matter what the circumstance, he needs to answer. With a nervous hand, he takes his cell phone out, looking at the screen…

…

...And he lets out a long sigh of relief.

"...E-erm…" He glances nervously at Yukito, who smiles and nods, giving him the go-ahead. Syaoran sighs again, and hits the 'answer' button, holding the phone up.

"Mei—"

" _SYAORAN!"_ An all-too-loud, high-pitched voice exclaimed from the other end, and it probably would have given Syaoran a headache had he not already been holding the phone a foot away from his ear. Yukito barely hides his chuckle. _"How are you?! It's been way too long!"_

"Let me know in advance when you're going to call," he complains instead of answering, "I thought it was Mother, calling me."

" _Huh? Oh, yeah, Auntie is supposed to call you this week, huh."_ A giggle. _"But, too bad! It's your beloved cousin, instead!"_

"Why are you calling, Meiling?" He walks with Yukito, the gray-haired man staying respectfully silent as he munches at his crepe. "Actually, wait. Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?" He looks at the clock; Hong Kong is an hour behind, it's seven in the morning where she is.

" _Today's a school holiday. And do I need a reason, to call?"_ Huff. _"I'm your precious family! Aren't I allowed to call my darling cousin?"_

Syaoran rolls his eyes. He almost never received phone calls, but when he did, they were usually from two people: His mother (who meticulously scheduled their biweekly phone calls), and Meiling. As the two youngest children of the Li clan, the two had been raised together more like siblings than cousins. Even after Syaoran had moved away to Nemukai, she had stayed in touch constantly, something that was uncharacteristic in contrast to the silent stoicism that was so common among Lis. But that was just Meiling, he knew. She was loud, bossy, and stubborn—if Syaoran got their clan's quiet dignity, then she had gotten the brash pride. They shared almost nothing in common.

That being said...

" _You just rolled your eyes, didn't you?"_

Shit. "No." If there was one thing they shared, it was their sharp intuition. His eye twitches as he hears Yukito struggle to hold back his laughter; though Syaoran knows Yukito doesn't mean to, Meiling's voice is so loud that he's hearing every word.

" _Well, whatever,"_ Meiling continues. _"So, what's new? You just started school, right?"_

"Yeah. It started about a week ago."He takes another bite of his crepe, swallowing before continuing. "Same homeroom as last year, so it's not like anything's really changed. The only difference is the classes I have."

" _What about clubs?"_ She asks. _"Will you join one this year?"_

 _Why does everyone keep asking him this?_ "No, I'm _not_ joining a club."

" _Why_ not? _"_ Meiling whines, loudly. Yukito pouts at him, too.

"Because I have to focus on studying. I can't just fool around."

" _Your grades are almost as good as mine!"_ They're better than yours, Syaoran thinks, but he indulges her. _"And you're athletic, so you'd do amazing in a club! What about a martial arts club? They have those there, right?"_

"Only a karate club. It's a bit different from the Chinese martial arts we studied at home. Besides, you're the only one I've fought in a long time." He clears his throat. "What about you? Still in your club at school?"

"Changing the subject," Yukito sings under his breath. Syaoran shoots him a side glare.

" _Ah, yeah!"_ Meiling takes the bait, thankfully. _"Some girls in the club are even saying I could be the club president, next year!"_

"I feel bad for them. You might kill them with your training methods."

A snort. _"If I could handle that training as a child, then they can handle it as high schoolers!"_

"I take it back. You're definitely going to kill them."

" _Anyways!"_ Now it's Meiling's turn to change the subject. _"I_ still _think you should join a club. Don't you only have, like,_ one _friend?"_

Another twitch of the eye. "Two. Friends."

" _You say that like it's supposed to be_ less _worrying."_

It is! "Like I said, I have to study. It's my _job_ to study, I'm the next head of the family."

" _You always say that,"_ she says, _"but it's not like you_ need _to study, right? I mean, the Li clan is old money."_

This isn't a lie, Syaoran thinks to himself. Apparently their whoever-knows-how-many-greats grandfather had been a maritime adventurer of some sort. On one of his journeys, he had come across priceless treasures, deep under the ocean floor. He came back to China a rich man. However, it wasn't sailing the Lis were known for. After his ancestor's initial discovery, the family had moved into stocks and trading with their newfound wealth, and since then, had established quite a name for themselves in the upper class. They had never 'dipped their toes' into ocean adventuring again, so to speak.

"That whole attitude is exactly _why_ I need to study," he replies. Then, without thinking, he switches to speaking in Chinese. "We can't rely on some treasure find our ancestor made, centuries ago. What's important is to study how to properly wield that responsibility, in order to manage our wealth properly and keep the clan in high standings."

It's a tired line, one he's had said to him so many times growing up that he can recite it perfectly. And Meiling knows it. _"Honestly,"_ she complains, _"you sound like one of the elders, Syaoran. Even switching over to Chinese, like that."_

Syaoran feels his face redden, as he huffs. "What's so wrong about speaking in Chinese?" He rebuffs, switching back to Japanese. "Actually, it's weirder for us to _not_ be speaking in Chinese! We're both from Hong Kong!"

" _Yes,"_ Meiling admits, _"but these calls make for very good Japanese lessons on my end."_ Syaoran hates to admit it, but she _does_ sound near-fluent. _"But anyways, my point is—you sound_ boring, _Syaoran."_

"Oh, do elaborate." Syaoran's voice couldn't be dryer. Yukito holds back another chuckle.

" _Why does our family insist on trifling with boring stuff like_ stocks _and_ trading _when we have such a past in more exciting things?"_ Meiling's tone gets more excited, as she continues. _"I mean, think about it! Sailing on the high seas, searching for treasure! Our ancestors must have been_ crazy, _to give that up!"_

"There's not really a point in searching for treasure, when you've already made it rich." Syaoran deadpans.

" _Come_ on! _"_ Meiling wails. _"Syaoran, you have no sense of adventure! No sense of_ romance! _"_ Syaoran yawns, ignoring her as she keeps going. _"Just imagine it—life on waves! Rolling with the tide! Finding new lands, meeting new_ people, _seeing fantastic and magical things while—"_

"Oh, would you look at that," Syaoran cuts her off, flatly. "I'm about to walk into the school grounds. No phones allowed. I have to go, sorry."

" _Wh—"_

"Also there's no such thing as magic."

There's a gasp of indignation as Syaoran hits the 'end' button with his thumb, effectively hanging up on Meiling.

Yukito can't hold back any longer; he bursts out laughing, holding his stomach. "T-that was mean, Syaoran-kun!" He scolds, between chuckles. Syaoran simply rolls his eyes, as they approach his school's gates.

"I didn't _lie,_ did I? I'm going into school, and phones aren't allowed."

"Perhaps not, but still." Yukito sighs, smiling. "You always sound so lively on the phone, with Meiling-chan." Meiling had never visited Japan, before—it was always Syaoran, going back to Hong Kong to see her during family vacations. But the constant onslaught of texts, pictures, and calls had familiarized Yukito deeply with the girl's existence.

"She always calls me out of the blue." Syaoran sighs, pocketing his phone. "It's irritating."

"But you always pick up, don't you?"

Syaoran doesn't respond, and Yukito laughs.

"I think it's nice." The man continues, smiling. "To have family that cares so much about you. Even if they're far away."

Syaoran glances at Yukito when he makes that remark, staying silent. He isn't quite sure how to respond to that—it's not as if he's known anything other than his own situation, after all.

Luckily, he doesn't have to. "You should hurry to class, or you'll be late." Yukito points out, as they stand at the high school's gates. "Let's walk home together, ok? To get the ingredients for curry rice tonight!"

"Again with the curry rice…" Syaoran grumbles, but waves goodbye to Yukito anyways, as he walks into the school.

He meets up with Yamazaki at the shoe lockers, the two walking together to their classroom and settling into their lessons easily, as usual. First period is literature, so Syaoran takes out the prescribed book they were required to read, as the teacher begins to give his lecture.

"Now, the reading yesterday was on mythology—specifically, the similarities between mythological tales in different countries."

He takes his notes methodically, hand and pen gliding across the paper, checking his book, highlighting terms he considers important. It's a monotonous, dull task, but he takes to it with the same diligence as he does everything else in school. He's never had any true likes or dislikes, when it comes to his lessons. It's all the same to him. ...That being said, this lesson is a little different than most, he thinks. Mythology in literature is a pretty sophisticated topic to be covering, this early in the year.

"Similarities in mythology between cultures include moral lessons. Literature has long been a method of teaching life lessons to readers. These stories are called 'fables,' and despite the word itself originating in Europe, fables are something that have always existed across the world." The teacher continues. "However, lessons are not the only thing that myths share in common. Many myths share more tangible concepts in common. Can anyone think of what some of these concepts might be?"

Syaoran's pencil pauses, as he thinks. 'Tangible' concepts in writing? What could that mean? If a 'moral' is intangible, then…

"Yes, Yamazaki?" Hearing the teacher's voice, Syaoran looks to the side to see Yamazaki with his hand raised.

"Could it be mythological figures?" The taller youth says, speculating.

"That's a good answer. Can you elaborate? What kinds of 'mythological figures?'"

"Well, figures such as gods differ between culture and religion, of course. But there are other creatures that show up in different stories across the world, right?" Yamazaki smiles. "Like aliens, for instance!"

His token interest for the occult (or perhaps for absurdity in general) makes most of the class chuckle, including the teacher.

"Well, that's a more outlandish approach… but to put it simply, yes. Yamazaki is correct." The teacher turns to the board, writing down a list of different fantasy creatures. "Giants, fairies, aliens… all of these are mythological creatures at their core, appearing in thousands of different stories. However, these ideas seem to have no true origin, as stories about them were written long before cultures across the world even had contact with one another."

Syaoran turns back to his textbook, frowning. He hadn't read too deeply into the 'mythological figure' paragraph for this reading. Listening carefully to the teacher, he starts to refine his notes for the topic. Though it's an absurd topic, it might be on the test.

"Now, here's an example. Can anyone tell me what mythological creature is most associated with the ocean?"

Immediately, several hands go up. Some voices don't even wait, calling out: "Mermaids!"

The teacher chuckles. "That's correct!" He smiles, and continues: "Mermaids are a very good example. Though Hans Christian Andersen's _'The Little Mermaid'_ is the most associated with them, the truth is that mermaids have existed in literature for a long, long time." He moves to a globe sitting on the desk, pointing out an area a little above Egypt. "The first stories originated in Assyria, in 1,000 B.C.." Then his finger moves to Europe. "However, around 2,000 years later, depictions of mermaids began to show up in British engravings. They were also considered bad omens in stories. Now, 2,000 years may _seem_ like plenty of time for the idea of mermaids to spread… but, you might be able to figure out how unlikely that is. Why would that be?" He looks up, and meets eyes with Syaoran. "Li, you've been quiet. Would you like to answer?"

"Yes." Syaoran nods obediently, without hesitation. "Maritime travel hadn't been invented yet, and it was very difficult to travel long distances. Basically, the age of communication was still a very long ways off."

The teacher's eyes light up. "Very good!" He nods. "Yes, that's right. Based on how liminal communication was between cultures at that time, the idea that such an abstract concept could have spread like that is very difficult to rationalize. And yet…" His finger moves over the globe again, this time, to the Middle East. "The collection _One Thousand and One Nights,_ from Arabia, tells stories of mermaids as well. Granted, their depiction of it is a bit different, but the core concept is the same: creatures with a human-like shape, that dwell underwater.

"There are many, many more areas in which tales of mermaids or similar creatures sprung up, despite these lands being completely unconnected at the time. So now, I ask you: how is it that such a similar concept was able to be so widely understood, across the world? Any theories?"

The class immediately begins to speak up, at this prompt. "Artwork being found!" "Travellers adventuring the world!" "Coincidence!"

"Mermaids are real!" Yamazaki speaks up, cheerful.

Syaoran rolls his eyes. The other students begin to laugh, but though the teacher chuckles, he waves his hand. "Now, now," he says, "let's hear what Yamazaki has to say."

"Well, I mean, it makes sense. Doesn't it?" Yamazaki says, smiling. "By 'coincidence,' all of these places across the world happened to write about the same kind of creature. Is it such a far stretch to think that at some point, different people were seeing the same thing, deep in the ocean?" Despite the boy's penchant for lying, the class seems to be invested in what Yamazaki has to say. "No matter what ocean you go to, as long as you're by the sea, you'll hear stories about mermaids, and about mermaid sightings. It's not like our town is any different, either. We've got our fair share of mermaid myths!" He nods, sagely. "Like how their colorful, sparkling scales can make for good protective charms, their kiss can let you breathe underwater, and that eating their hearts will make you immortal…"

"Hey!" Chiharu cuts in, glaring at him from her seat in the front of the room. "You're telling lies again, aren't you?!"

"No, he's actually right." The teacher smiles. "All of those myths are true. They're older stories, though. Typically it's the older generation that still remembers those stories… I'm surprised you know them, Yamazaki."

Yamazaki nods. "I've read a lot about this sort of thing, after all. It's really interesting!"

"That's good. Keep up the good work."

"I will!" Yamazaki's smile widens, and he puts up a finger. "But as long as we're on the topic of mermaids, did you also know that—"

Swiftly, Chiharu pitches an eraser with such pinpoint accuracy that it hits Yamazaki between the eyebrows. He yelps in pain, but laughs with the rest of the class. "That's _mean,_ Chiharu-chan! I haven't even said anything, yet!"

Chiharu huffs, turning back around. "You've managed to give some good information for once, so stop while you're ahead. It's not good to lie in class!"

"Thank you, Mihara-san." The teacher chortles, amused. "Now then, moving on…"

The teacher's voice continues on, a comforting lull that mixes with the spring sun, entering the classroom. Syaoran checks over his new set of notes to make sure they're correct. He doesn't want to miss anything else, so he reads them carefully. Eventually, he reaches the section where the subject had turned to mermaids. He finds himself rather surprised at how detailed his notes are… they stayed on the topic for quite a while, after all. Then, he frowns at the notes he'd taken while Yamazaki had been speaking.

 **Real?**

 _\- Alleged mermaid sightings across world_

 _\- Similarities among stories across the globe, even in the distant past_

 **Local myths**

 _\- Colorful, sparkling scales_

 _\- Kisses that give ability to breathe underwater_

 _\- Hearts that, when ingested, give immortality_

Looking back at them, they're rather irrelevant to the topic at hand—they'd been talking about culture and literature, but the subject got derailed to a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. Breathing underwater? Hearts that make you immortal? What _is_ this? He really must have been spacing out, to be taking these notes.

Syaoran grabs his eraser, ready to rid his page of the useless information in order to make room for more notes.

Just as he does, though, his hand stops.

 _\- Colorful, sparkling scales_

The phrase makes him pause for a moment, eraser hovering over the writing. Colorful, and… sparkling.

...Why is that so familiar?

He stares at the line for a second longer, then puts his eraser aside. He won't erase it. There's a slim chance that things like this could be on the exam—even if they are mumbo-jumbo. So instead, Syaoran picks up a pen, circling the paragraph in bright red and writing the word _'IRRELEVANT'_ next to it. It's just for the exam, and the sake of being thorough.

There's no way mermaids are real, after all.

* * *

"I'm telling you, he _is_ real! He _is!_ "

"And _I'm_ saying that if we wait around there any longer, you'll be late for your lessons! So get your tail in gear, and swim!"

Sakura's lip sets in a stubborn pout as she leaves the sun's rays behind, swimming down and away from the surface. They waited there for hours, and the boy—'Yukito-san'—never showed up _once._ Why? He showed up _twice_ the first day, and then a couple more times over the next few days… but then his appearances began to dwindle more and more, and now she hasn't seen him in days. _Why?_

"No one is saying he isn't real, Sakura," Tomoyo soothes, swimming at Sakura's side. "But it's important we get back. I have my duties to attend to, and you have lessons…"

Sakura whines. "I just thought you'd finally get to _see_ him today." She sighs, bubbles escaping her mouth. "And the one time we're able to spend the entire day together, he doesn't show. I don't want you to think I made him up…"

"Of course I don't think you made him up," Tomoyo assures, "and besides. I had a wonderful time, today!" She smiles. "The surface is just as dazzling as you said it was, Sakura."

That brings the light back to Sakura's eyes. "Right? _Right?!"_ She spins around as they dive, getting excited. "The sun's rays feel so _good,_ and though it's weird breathing air at first, it feels so good when you get used to it! And the _fish!_ They really do taste good—ahh, we should have brought some back, for Rika to cook!"

" _Ooh!"_ Kero gasps, invested. "Good idea!"

"People would find out we went to the surface if we did that, though…" Tomoyo interjects, without losing her smile. Kero's fins droop, while Sakura sighs dejectedly in agreement.

"...I wonder where he went." Sakura muses.

"You mean Yukito-san?"

"Mm." She nods. "I mean—from the first day, he seemed to show up pretty regularly… but he hasn't shown up at _all,_ within the past few days. Oh—" Her eyes suddenly become fearful, as she looks at Tomoyo. "Do you think he got sick?" She looks at Kero. "Do humans get sick?!" Kero rolls his eyes, while Tomoyo giggles softly.

"Whatever it is," Tomoyo gently reassures, "I'm sure he'll be back soon." Her words comfort Sakura, and she smiles.

"Y-yeah!"

"Town's coming up," Kero interrupts. "Keep your heads down."

Obediently, the girls put their heads down, swimming low and in the shadows to avoid any stray glances from the townspeople. There would be a fuss if the princess and her lady-in-waiting were seen in town, after all-a fuss that would inevitably make its way back to the king, and worse, the _prince._

"I _really_ hope the good Prince isn't loitering around the halls again," Kero mutters. "We've had enough close calls this week." True to his word, Sakura and Kero had been narrowly avoiding Touya's watchful eye for the past few days. Their subterfuge had been made even more difficult by the increased guard patrol on the bridges-likely Touya's doing, as well, as all the guards belonged to his personal order. It was all they could do to not get caught, as the protective older brother would surely be astounded and enraged by Sakura's daily surface outings.

"Brother has a full schedule today, don't worry!" Sakura smiles. "He's accompanying Father to all of his meetings today."

That seems to almost impress Kero. "Huh," he hums. "Guess that Prince isn't all talk, after all, taking the time out to learn from his old man."

"Brother is mean," the brunette says, "but he's really dedicated to his duties. He's really diligent with his studies."

"Meanwhile, _you_ could stand to be a little _more_ diligent…"

" _Kero!"_

Tomoyo giggles softly. "It really is impressive, though," she says. "His dedication to being a good future king."

"Well," Kero huffs, as they swim through the rock tunnels to get back to the palace, "he's still got a long way to go. He'll _never_ be a good king until he learns to show the great Deity of the Seas the respect I deserve!"

Sakura sighs. "You're still upset about him taking a bite of your dessert last night, aren't you."

"I was saving that bit for _last!"_ the 'deity' wails. "The fattest, juiciest sea urchin, all plump and ready for me to eat-and he _took it!"_

"In a way, isn't that even more impressive?" Tomoyo smiles. "The fact that the Prince is able to tame the Deity of the Pacific so easily."

Kero makes a strangled noise of offense, as Sakura's eyes light up. "Ah, we're back!"

The three swim around the bottom edge of the castle, until they find the open hallway window that they had left through. Thankfully, no servants had closed it while they were gone. They swim inside, covering the evidence of their escapade by quickly closing and locking the window.

"You should get going," Tomoyo says, "your class starts soon, doesn't it?"

"You're right." Sakura nods. "Ah-but come with me next time, too, ok?" She grasps Tomoyo's hands, frowning. "I'm sure he'll show up again, soon! I really, _really_ want you to see Yukito-san!"

Tomoyo smiles warmly. "I will," she accepts. "But even if he doesn't… I'm sure I'll enjoy myself regardless."

Sakura beams, her eyes sparkling. "Then, I'll see you later!" She calls, swimming off with all the speed of a bullet.

Kero and Tomoyo both watch Sakura hurry away, idling by the window. After a short period of quiet, Kero speaks. "Mind if I stay with you for a bit?" He asks. "I can't go with Sakura; it 'distracts from her studies,' according to the teacher."

"Yes, of course." She smiles, the two swimming down the hall opposite the one Sakura went down. "I must say, I didn't think going up to the surface before could be anything but dangerous… but I'm beginning to see the appeal.

"You're enabling her, you know?"

Tomoyo giggles. "The same can be said for you."

Kero grumbles.

Sakura's lessons take place in a library larger than life, with shelves that reach the gleaming ceiling all filled to the brim with scrolls of parchment. With past tutors, she had always been taught in either her bedroom or a private study, but her current tutor was very insistent that they learn in the library, so as to always give her access to any knowledge she needed. And to be honest, Sakura likes it this way. She likes the white noise of scrolls being reordered by servants, of the chandelier crystals clinging together softly, of a scribe's occasional cry of anguish at finding an invading sea bass gnawing at a scroll. It's strange, but it helps her focus a lot more than the everlasting quiet in her room.

"Um… like this?"

"Let's see… ah, I'm afraid not. It appears you skipped a step."

"What? W-where?!"

"Check around where you substituted the variables…"

Sakura whines, looking back down at the scroll before her. Of all the subjects, arithmetic has always been her worst. Even so, she does her best to try and spot her mistake. "Um… oh!" She spots one line, where she had mixed up what number to substitute. She fixes it, checks the problem once more, and shows her teacher again. "Like this?" The teacher leans forward to check.

Then, she smiles. "Very good, Sakura! That's correct."

Sakura's eyes light up, as she cheers. _"Yay!"_

The mermaid across from her chuckles, patting her on the head. She's tall and slender, with long reddish brown hair that falls far past her waist. Her tail is a brilliant orange hue, the scales sparkling in the light, complimenting her darker orange eyes. "Good work," she praises, smiling warmly.

Sakura beams, as her cheeks go pink. "Thank you, Miss Kaho!"

"Don't thank me—it was all your hard work that did it." Kaho turns to the scrolls, humming. "I think that should be all for arithmetic. We still have a little time, though, so let's review your history…"

Sakura looks up at Kaho, cheeks still warm. The older mermaid had been her teacher for several years now, and she was incredible at her job. Even the most difficult arithmetic problems seemed to become so simple, with her explaining them. Sakura's father had told her that Kaho had been a traveler for many years, and it was easy for Sakura to believe. Kaho just exuded this sense of… 'worldliness' about her. Sakura wasn't even sure if that was a word, but she thought it fit.

"Sakura?" Kaho's voice brings her out of her thoughts. "Is something wrong?" She noticed Sakura's dazed look, no doubt.

"Ah—n-no!" Sakura shakes her head vigorously. "I'm f-fine!"

Kaho's hand was hovering over a history scroll, but it lingers there, unmoving. After a moment, it lowers back to her side. "...You've seemed a little distracted, this whole lesson." She notes, and Sakura jumps. It's _true_ that she's had some things on her mind, but she thought she had been hiding it well… "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine!" Sakura repeats, waving her hands. "I-I just… um…"

Kaho stares for a few seconds. Soon, though a small smile makes its way onto her face. "...We've worked long enough. I think a short break is in order." She says, and moves to the seat next to Sakura's. "Don't you?"

Sakura feels her face flush. It's always like this, she thinks. Miss Kaho always knows when she's troubled. "...Y-yes."

Kaho rings a bell on the table, signalling the servants. Before long, Rika has come in with some sweets and tea, setting the tray down on the table.

"Seaweed rolls, fresh from the sacred fire." She smiles, bowing. "Please enjoy."

"Thank you. Rika." Sakura smiles back, waving as Rika takes her leave. She looks back down at the food, picking up a roll for herself.

"So." Kaho takes a seat across from her, as she picks up a sweet seaweed roll. "What seems to be the matter?"

"...It's… nothing to be worried about, really. Just…" Sakura bites her lip, trying to think of how to phrase it discreetly. "...Miss Kaho-you… you know a lot of stories, right?"  
Kaho chuckles. "I have to," she says, "due to my profession."

Sakura feels her cheeks heat up. "M-mm. Well-you know, the… the stories… about humans, right?"

The teacher tilts her head. "Humans?"  
"Y-yeah. You know, the story about the mermaid that traded her voice for legs? And another, about the mermaid who accidentally drowned a human she loved…" She hesitates, and gulps. "W-well…

"Are they… real?"

A silence seems to fall over the room. Sakura can feel her sweat mixing with the saltwater surrounding them. Kaho says nothing, but Sakura can feel her gaze boring into the side of her head. What will she say? How will she answer? Will she pass this off as the curiosity of a student, or will she grow suspicious?

Five seconds pass, then ten.

Sakura opens her mouth to change the subject. "N-never mi-"

"We have no way of knowing if they're true or not," Kaho interrupts smoothly. "Though the stories _are_ widely accepted by merkind to be truth… truly, we have no idea."

Sakura's eyes open wide, and she looks at Mizuki. "...I… I s-see," she stammers, trying to regain the little composure she had before. 'No idea,' huh. So in other words, they could be true just as much as they could be false. Her head lowers a bit, as she feels a bit of gloom begin to set in.

"However," Kaho continues, "while the stories themselves haven't been proven… there are rumors that the spells inside them do exist."

Another beat of silence, as Sakura processes what her tutor just divulged. "...Huh?"

Her head perks up, gaze meeting Kaho's again. "Spells… you mean-" her eyes light up a bit. "Like the spells that let merfolk walk on land?!"

Kaho chuckles. "You seem very interested in this, Sakura," she observes.

Sakura jumps, and averts her gaze. "N-not really…" she lies. "I-I was just curious… so…"

"Hmm…" Kaho takes another sip of tea, glancing at Sakura over the cup's rim. "...Well, the rumors do exist. Spells, that can transform merfolk into humans, to allow them to walk on land. To live among humans." She sets the cup down, looking at her reflection within the viscous liquid, its properties denser than water. "Spells… made by the Witch of the Sea."

With those words, yet another silence falls over the room. However, this one is cold. Unsettling. With those four words uttered from Kaho's lips, Sakura feels a chill run down her spine, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up.

"T-the…" her voice trembles. "The W-Witch?"

The Witch of the Sea is a story. A ghost, a monster, a legend-the thing that merfolk warn their guppies about to keep them from sneaking out of bed, the thing that travellers joke about while swimming in the dead of night. The thing that Touya spooked Sakura with, mercilessly, when they were growing up. 'The Witch of the Sea lives in a big shark's skeleton.' 'It lures in unsuspecting guppies so it can eat them whole.' 'If you venture too far from home, you'll get taken in by its magic, and never return.'

Kaho looks at her and smiles serenely. "Yes." She nods. "Spells, made by the Witch of the-"

" _M-Miss Kaho!"_ Sakura screeches, clutching onto her chair as if to stop herself from running away. "D-d-don't s-say things l-l-like t-that-" she stammers, trying to calm her stuttering tongue. "T-the Witch of the Sea isn't real!"

"Isn't he?" Kaho chuckles. "Stories of the Witch have been around for centuries. So maybe, just _maybe…_ "

" _Stop!"_ Sakura begs, tears prickling at her eyes. "Stop, stop, _stop!"_

Kaho starts laughing, putting a hand daintily over her mouth to hide it. "I'm sorry-I'm sorry!" She chuckles. "Sakura, you're so cute, I couldn't help but tease you a bit." Sakura lets out a long, tortured whine in response. Her face would be turning red, if it wasn't already drained of color.

"I'm not cute," she protests, weakly. "You're just _mean…"_

Another giggle from Kaho. "...Still," she continues, smiling. "Could the Witch of the Sea really be so bad?"

Sakura glances up at that. "H-huh?"

"Well, think about it." Kaho rests her cheek on her hand. "The Witch helped to fulfill every wish a mermaid took to it. No matter how impossible it seemed, those mermaids were able to walk on land, thanks to the Witch's help." She smiles. "When you think of it like that-as someone who lent their power, to help fulfill the wishes of merfolk… could the Witch of the Sea be that bad?"

The Witch of the Sea also stole the voice of a mermaid in one of those stories, Sakura thinks, frowning. As well as cursed her to be in constant pain for the rest of her life...

...But…

"...M-maybe you're right," she relents. It's true that the mermaid in the story went through those terrible things, but… she knew what she was getting into, when she did. It's not like the witch hid anything from her…

Kaho's smile softens, as she looks at Sakura with warm eyes. "...Is there a reason?" She inquires. "For you to be asking about those stories."

Sakura jumps. "W-what?"

"Well, you're curious, aren't you? Did something happen, to get you so interested in-"

" _Ah!"_ The princess yelps, straightening up. "W-we're almost out of snacks-I'll-I'll go get some more from Rika!" She picks up the tray (which still has half of its snacks left), and makes a beeline for the kitchen doors.

"Oh-" Kaho raises her hand as if to stop her, but then lowers it just as quickly. "...Get some more sweet seaweed rolls, ok?"

"Yes!"

Kaho smiles at Sakura's instant response, as she turns back to the books, sorting them for when they resume lessons. Sakura pauses at the kitchen doors, though, looking back.

"...Um," she calls out, again. "Miss Kaho?"

"Hmm?" Kaho hums from the table.

"Thank you."

Kaho blinks, looking up at her. After a moment, she chuckles again. "...You're welcome."

Sakura smiles wide, and turns around again to enter the kitchens with a slightly lighter heart than before. The thought of the Witch of the Sea still frightens her, but… well. Maybe the rumors about them aren't entirely true.

She already knows the rumors of the surface are false, after all.


	5. It doesn't make sense

Today's the day.

Syaoran performs his routine perfectly, as usual. Wake up. Go to school with Yukito. Attend school. Go home with Yukito…

Only instead of lingering on the walk home as usual, Syaoran makes them walk briskly home, without any stops. Yukito doesn't question this, he's no stranger to this schedule. He doesn't invite Syaoran over for dinner, either.

The two reach their apartment complex and say goodbye, and Syaoran enters his apartment. He hangs up his bag, and goes to his room, passing over the kitchen as he goes. Normally he'd make a light snack at this time, but he doesn't have the appetite right now. Once he's in his room, he sits down at his desk, taking out his phone and clicking it open.

3:42. He has three minutes. He reaches into his desk drawer, pulling out some earbuds.

3:43. He plugs in the earbuds, then inserting them into his ears.

3:44. He takes a deep breath, placing his gaze on the phone before him.

3:45.

The phone rings.

 _Call from: Mother_

Syaoran exhales, sets his jaw, and hits 'Accept.'

" _Syaoran."_ A smooth, feminine voice radiates from the other end of the line, instilling both fear and awe into him at the same time. _"Good afternoon."_

"Good afternoon, Mother." Syaoran replies, his voice keeping the same level quality to it.

" _Have you been well?_ "

"Yes."

" _How are your studies proceeding?"_

"They are proceeding well."

" _I see."_ A short pause. _"I will look forward to your report card for this semester. You are already a second-year in high school, so I have high expectations."_

They've never _not_ been high, Syaoran thinks, but he doesn't dare say it aloud. "I will do my best to meet those expectations, Mother."

" _A good approach to have. And what of your allowance?"_ The tone turns inquiring. _"Will you require any extra money for the next month? For school trips, or supplies?"_

"No. I made all of my payments in advance."

" _Very good. It is important to make payments earlier rather than later."_

Cool, short, brusque. These are how the calls with Felan Li usually go. Though, they feel more like a biweekly evaluation than a conversation between mother and son. Making sure he's well, ensuring his studies are going well, asking if he requires any extra allowance for the coming month. Three questions, a simple yes-yes-no, and then some other trivial matters until it's time to hang up the phone at 4.

" _And what of clubs? Have you joined any?"_

"Wh-"

The question throws Syaoran so off-balance, that he actually sputters for a moment. _"What?"_

" _I asked about clubs."_ Of course, his mother's voice does not falter. _"School clubs. You are already a second-year in high school. Have you not considered joining any?"_

 _Is there a goddamn alliance hell-bent on getting him to join a club?_

"I-I have not joined any clubs yet, no," he coughs, attempting to regain his composure, "I have been, um. Too focused on my studies."

" _You should consider it."_ She continues, blissfully oblivious to Syaoran's current internal monologue. _"Clubs are an excellent way to strengthen one's body, mind and spirit."_ Yeah, so is sitting under a waterfall. _"They also foster the bonds of communication."_ Yes, because Syaoran is so wishing to 'communicate' with his peers. _"Meiling joined her martial arts club recently, and she has been thriving."_ Of course Meiling's being mentioned. Of _course._

Syaoran listens to his mother go on about the benefits of being in a club, how it could improve his focus and discipline, help him make connections, blah blah blah, so on and so forth. He drags his hand down his face in agony as he watches the clock tick past 4:00 for what feels like the first time in years. He has no idea how long this will go on, how long she'll keep listing the 'perks,' so he decides to lean back a bit in his chair and strap in for the ride.

He just hopes that this 'suggestion' doesn't turn into an 'order.' He can indefinitely consider a suggestion. He can't refuse an order.

As his mother continues on, Syaoran wonders just what sparked this sudden conversation about clubs. She never pressured him to join one in middle school so why… _oh._ He grits his teeth. _Meiling._ She had something to do with this, he's sure of it. While he knows Meiling would never use her aunt to pressure Syaoran into anything, the fact remains that she _is_ a motormouth-and even a passing remark about him refusing to join a club would ping on his mother's radar. He rubs his temple. He knows it most likely wasn't intentional, but he'll still have to lecture Meiling on being conscious of what leaves her mouth when she's around his mother, from now on.

He vaguely hears his mother continue about how Meiling has been 'blossoming' in the martial arts club, and he thinks about how it's fitting, that she joined such an active club. It's a good way for her to release all that pent-up energy she has, that's for sure. Plus, it's a fitting club, too. Something where she's always moving her body, never stopping for a moment. That's just like Meiling herself, he thinks; she's always moving, moving, moving forward, becoming more and more and _more_. Like just that other day-when she was going on and on about their mariner ancestors. One minute they're having a perfectly logical explanation about how why they changed their profession from seafaring to stocks, and the _next,_ she's building up some ridiculous fantasy about high seas adventure, buried treasure, magic-

" _Syaoran?"_ the voice of his mother cuts through his reverie like a blade. _"Are you listening?"_

"I-uh, huh?" Syaoran's heart stops, as he realizes just how lost in his own head he'd been.

" _I'm asking if you were listening."_ His mother never raises her voice. Rather, her voice just seems to gain an edge, not unlike the swords he trained with in his childhood. _"Is something distracting you?"_

"That's-I-" He panics, cursing Meiling for riddling his head with these strange thoughts. Struggling to come up with some excuse, he stammers. "No, I… I was just…"

" _Just?"_ The edge is coming closer, threatening to cut him if he doesn't think fast.

"Just-t-thinking about a conversation I had with Meiling!"

There's a short pause. _"...A conversation?"_

"Y-yes," He continues, "you mentioned Meiling, and so I recalled a conversation we had… that was all. I apologize for becoming distracted, Mother."

There's another, slightly longer pause, before his mother's tone loses the frightening edge it was holding. _"...I see."_

Syaoran breathes an inner sigh of relief. It's not as if he was lying, right? He really was thinking about the conversation.

" _So?"_ His mother's voice brings him out of his thoughts once again. " _What was your conversation about?"_

"What? ...Oh," he replies, "it was just a conversation about our ancestors. The history of the family, and all…" He briefly considers throwing Meiling under the bus by saying she repeatedly called their elders boring, but decides to save that blackmail for a rainy day.

" _The history of our family?"_ That's when his mother's voice gains a curious lilt, a rare occurrence for her. _"What an… interesting topic to discuss."_

Huh. That's odd. He would have imagined that she would be far more pleased to have her son showing interest in their family's history. Without much thought, he continues. "We simply talked about how the Li clan came into prominence. How our ancestors found buried treasure, and used the profits to enter stocks and trading…"

" _I see."_

Syaoran notes that she suddenly seems more reserved than she was, moments ago. Wasn't she just bombarding him with question after question?

"...Mother?"

" _Yes?"_

"May I ask a question, if it is acceptable?"  
 _"What is it?"_

"Why…" He hesitates for a moment. This is kind of a pointless question, isn't it? And his mother isn't one for pointless questions. But still-he can't deny his curiosity. "Why did our ancestors give up seafaring?"

The pause that follows is the longest one yet. It's strange, and uncomfortable to Syaoran, because long pauses are not a typical occurrence between him and his mother. It's always clipped rapid-fire, question and answer, call and response. And yet right now, his mother is silent.

"...Mother?"

" _Why do you ask such a question?"_

He frowns a bit. What? "Well, just because… um." He tries to think of a way to phrase this that won't get Meiling a lecture. "Meiling seemed really interested in the idea of exploring the ocean. Searching for treasure, new lands, all of that… so I was just curious. As to why they gave up such a lifestyle so quickly. I'm curious-was it really because of the wealth they brought to our clan?"

Syaoran's mother hums, quietly. It's a soft, one-note song that sends a shiver down his spine. Why is he so nervous? It might be an odd question, but isn't it normal, to be interested in the history of his family? Why does he suddenly feel as if he's asked something he shouldn't? He opens his mouth to apologize, say never-mind, but then.

" _Our clan's circumstances changed,"_ his mother finally replies.

Syaoran blinks. "...Circumstances?"

" _Yes. After gaining our wealth, we had debts to repay, promises to keep, duties to perform… we could not fulfill those obligations had we continued exploring the seas."_

He listens, confused. The duties part he understands, but he had never heard of the clan ever being in debt. And just what does she mean, 'promises?' He opens his mouth to ask. "What do y-"

" _I have to go soon,"_ she cuts him off. _"I have a meeting. Is there anything else you wish to inform me of?"_

"What… I…" He falters, noticing that her nagging about joining a club has come to an end, too. "...N-no. There's nothing."

" _Very well, then. Have a nice evening."_

"You as well, Mother."

" _I shall call you again in two weeks. Until then."_

There's a click, and the call ends like that.

Syaoran stares at his phone, still a bit disconcerted by the conversation he just had. He keeps telling himself it was normal. His mother was simply surprised, since he's never asked about the family history before. Nothing she said was cause for suspicion; even the 'debt' bit could be written off as a result of the clan being poor in the early generations. Plus, it's like he said to Meiling before: There's no point in searching for treasure, when you've already made it rich. If anything, shouldn't he be glad? The subject got his mother off of his back about clubs…

…

So then… why does he feel so… unsettled?

Frowning, Syaoran stands, taking out his earbuds and returning his phone to his pocket. Then, without thinking twice, he heads for the door to his apartment. Maybe Yukito hasn't started making dinner yet, and if so, he can help out.

He doesn't feel like being alone with his thoughts right now, for some reason.

* * *

Tomoyo lets out what feels like is her fifth sigh within the last twenty minutes.

The storm is approaching, and the castle is in an uproar as they prepare the kingdom's defenses. It's apparently a lot more violent than was initially predicted, so every servant and soldier is hard at work boarding up the windows and doors, sending out notices to the public instructing them to stay indoors until they're given the all-clear, making sure that the pantries are stocked with enough first aid supplies in the case of an emergency. Everything's going according to kingdom protocol.

Except for one thing.  
"Princess! Has anyone found the Princess?!" A servant cries, dashing across the main hall.

"Check the study, and the library!"  
"Do we still have someone searching her room?!"

Tomoyo sighs again. She _told_ Sakura, told her a million times that she shouldn't leave while the storm preparations were happening, but she wouldn't hear any of it. 'I'll just be a moment,' she said, 'I'm just going to see if Yukito-san is there today, then I'll come back to the surface!'

And yet, hours later, she was still gone. Tomoyo bites her lip, nervous. Did she get caught in the early currents of the storm? Was she spotted by a human? Is she…?

Tap.

Tomoyo's body gives a start, as she looks around.

Tap, tap.

She looks over at the window, to find a familiar hand peeking up, rapping at the glass with bare knuckles.

Tomoyo covers her mouth to keep from gasping, looking around quickly to make sure no one else has notices. She then looks back at the hand, to see it pointing in the direction of the east hall. Tomoyo nods, getting the message, and all but rockets down the hall, until she reaches Sakura's room. "Rika?"  
"Oh-Tomoyo!?" Rika looks up from what must be her fourth time searching under Sakura's bed, her eyes filled with tears of worry. "Has the Princess been found? I keep looking everywhere, but…"

"Well, not _yet,"_ Tomoyo admits, "but I'm sure she'll turn up soon. They need you in the main hall-I'll keep searching here, ok?"

Rika agrees, still fretting as she exits the room. As soon as she's gone, Tomoyo hurries to the window, opening it up and feeling a cold, harsh current hit her in the face as she does. "It's clear!"

Immediately, Sakura flies up from below the window, hugging Tomoyo's shoulders tight.

"Thank you thank you _thank you!"_ she cries. "Kero and I came back, and-and we were trying to find a safe route back in-but it's so crazy because of the storm preparations, and everyone was coming and going, and even Rika was in my room so I couldn't…!"

"Seriously," Kero wheezes, flopping down on top of Sakura's head, "you saved our scales, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo smiles, breathing a large sigh of relief. "I'm just glad you both are safe," she assures. "Now, hurry up and get inside, before-"

" _What are you doing?"_

The three's eyes grow wide, and the temperature seems to drop.

Slowly, Sakura looks up past Tomoyo's shoulder.

At the doorway is Touya, his shoulders rigid, his fists clenched so tight that his knuckles are void of color. He swims inside, followed by a second merman. This one is different-he's paler than any other merperson in the castle, with long, flowing, silver hair that is pulled back and reaches the fin of his sparkling, platinum blue-colored tail. His eyes are the same color, glancing at Touya occasionally, not showing any outwards emotion.

"Big-" Sakura pales visibly. "B-Big Brother…"

"What is the meaning of this?" Touya demands, her teeth gritted. "Where have you been?! The staff has been looking everywhere for you-do you have any idea how panicked they've been, searching?!"

"Big Brother, I can explain-"

"Your Grace," Tomoyo interrupts, trying to defuse the situation, "My Lady was simply-"

"Stay out of this, Tomoyo," Touya warns. "I'm talking to Sakura." He turns back to her, eyes narrowed. "Just what are you doing? You _know_ there's a storm coming outside!"

Sakura knits her fingers together, nervous. "I-I know, but-"

"No buts. There's a Class 8 storm outside, and you know what that means, right? It means that you need to follow royal protocol, and be present in the hall to take attendance before we close the castle gates." He scowls. "But instead, what are you doing? Ignoring the rules, worrying everyone-"

"Hey, Prince-" Kero tries to cut in, too, "just hold your seahorses and-"

"You _shut up,_ you sea rat-I don't want to hear anything from the so-called 'guardian' that was about to help her sneak out-"

" _HEY!"_ The 'sea rat' comment gets Kero, and he snarls. "I wasn't helping her 'sneak out,' you ungrateful little-I WAS PROTECTING HER UP THERE!"

The silence that falls over the room then is deafening.

"...A-ah." Kero stammers, realizing his mistake.

"... 'Up there?'" Touya's expression is completely unreadable.

Sakura feels her heart stop for about three beats. "...Um-I…" Her voice is meek, when she speaks up. "I can expla-"

"Up _there,"_ Touya repeats, his voice becoming hushed. "As in… up on the surface?"

The flinch Sakura gives is enough to answer his question. Touya inhales sharply, and the merman behind him's eyes grow a fraction wider.

Tomoyo senses the oncoming danger of this subject, and tries once again to intervene. "Y-Your Grace, I truly think that this matter would be best discu-"

"I asked you a question, Sakura."

Sakura's silence persists a moment longer. Then, she gives a slow, single nod.

"You were at the surface." Touya continues. "Knowing full well that it's strictly forbidden."

"...I-it's not like… it's _forbidden,_ " Sakura replies, in a quiet voice. "It's not _written_ anywhere that we can't-"

"BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE _WRITTEN, SAKURA_!" Touya all but explodes, enraged. "It's a taboo for a reason-because it's dangerous up there, and not just because there's a storm right now! What if you had been seen, what if a _human-"_

"I'm _never_ seen!" Sakura retorts, anger beginning to seep into her voice, as well. "I'm always careful, I always at least have Kero with me, I-"

" _Never-_ you've been there _more than once?!"_

Sakura falters again, but regains her footing much quickly this time. "Yes, I _have-_ " She huffs, "for a while now, too! And what's so dangerous about the surface?! Big Brother, you're just-just superstitious and _stupid!_ A few scary stories doesn't make the surface scary, too! Why are you so afraid of it?! _"_

Touya bares his fangs in fury, snarling. "You…" He growls. "You have _no idea_ what you're even speaking of, you-" He's cut off, though-not by Tomoyo or Kero, but by the merman behind him. He places a pale hand on his arm, serious.

"...My Liege," he says, his voice calm. "I think it would be best to table this discussion until later. We must complete the preparations for the storm, and inform the King and staff that the Princess has been safely found."

Touya looks at him, biting his cheek. "..." He breathes in, then out. "...You're right, Yue." He turns around, going to the door. "Tell the servants to come in here and board Sakura's windows for the storm. After the preparations are finished, I will go to my father's chambers to tell him about Sakura's sneaking out." He looks over his shoulder, giving her a severe glance. "...And I'll suggest to him that after this storm, her windows _stay_ boarded, until she knows better than to sneak out and put her life in danger like this.

Sakura's eyes go wide. "Wh-" She gasps. _"Board my windows?!"_

"And have a regular patrol going around the castle to keep you from going out any other exits." He glares. "After finding out about the stunts you've been pulling, I think grounding you is in order. Literally."

"Hey, Prince!" Kero protests. "Don't you think that's a little out of line?! It's not like it's been every-" He falters, because it really has almost been every day. "I mean-there's no way your old man's gonna agree to this!"

"I think he'll agree in a heartbeat," Touya retorts, "not because it's to punish her, but because it's to keep her safe."

Sakura is trembling, with rage, confusion, grief. "...I-I don't understand…" she says, on the verge of tears. "Why? Why is it so bad? I don't…"

Touya gives her one last look. "..." And he sighs. "...I'm sorry." He apologizes, frowning. "But I have to do this.

"You'll understand when you're older."

Those words are all it takes.

Without saying anything, without even thinking, Sakura turns around, shooting through the water at a speed faster than she's ever swum before.

"Wh-" Touya's eyes go wide, and he turns around, alarmed. _"Sakura-"_ He immediately throws his spear away, swimming after her.

"SAKURA!" Kero yells, zooming in pursuit at just as quick of a pace.  
"My Lady-!" Tomoyo attempts to follow, but Yue grabs her shoulders, shaking his head.

Sakura swims without knowing or caring about her destination. All she wants is to get away, away, away. She hears Touya's shouts from behind her as she escapes. He doesn't understand, no, he _refuses_ to understand. Why? Why is he, why is _everyone,_ so against the surface? Why do they fear it so much, when she's seen it, and there's nothing but beauty up there? She hears Touya's voice get louder, but she grits her teeth, unafraid as she dives into the rock tunnels. Touya may have the advantage in speed, but she has the territory, and she knows these tunnels like the back of her hand. In pitch blackness, she navigates seamlessly through the caves, taking the tunnels with the best tailcurrent, to boost her speed and get her away. It's strange. It's so, so, strange. It's so beautiful up there, all he would have to do is _see_ it, and she's sure he would understand. Why doesn't he understand? Why doesn't he _want_ to understand? Understand this wish, this _need,_ this urge to go up, up, higher, until she's feeling the sun on her face, the wind on her cheeks. She shuts her eyes tight, swimming faster. Soon, she's hearing Touya's voice fade, fade…. Until it's nothing.

She gets out of the caves, only to be immediately sent flying by a strong current. She tumbles through the water, hitting a rock and slowly sinking to the sand. It's only when she reaches the ocean floor, that she curls up and begins to cry, quietly.

It's confusing. It's so confusing. What does he mean, 'you'll understand when you're older?' How could that even make sense? Sakura chokes out a sob, hiding her face in her tail. No matter how many times she runs the words through her head, she knows they have to be false. Have to be. After all, there's just nothing in the seven seas that could make her forget that dazzling view, when she first poked her head above the water and saw the sky for the first time.

It doesn't make sense.

"...ura…" An echoing voice reaches her, above the sound of the rushing storm currents. "Sakura! _Sakura!"_

Sakura jumps and looks up, tears still dripping from her eyes, to find Kero barreling towards her. He's barely managing to not be thrown aside by the current, but his eyes still light up when he finds her.

" _There_ you are!" He heaves a sigh of relief, hanging on to a piece of kelp to keep from blowing away. "Don't just swim off like that-d'you have any idea how worried I was?!"

"K-Kero…" She sniffs, wiping her eyes. "How did you…?"

"Find you?" He huffs. "I go through those tunnels with you every day! It'd be impossible for me to not be able to find my way around them by now… jeez." He swims over to her face, eyes filled with concern. "Are you ok?"

"...I'm mad," she confesses. "Why does Big Brother-why does _everyone_ fear the surface so much? The stories are just _stories!_ Even if they're scary, that doesn't mean…"

Kero sighs. "I know, I know." He frowns. "But I was talking physically. Did you notice you're bleeding?"

"What?" Sakura looks down, to find a fine cut lining her left arm. Blood flows from it, mixing with the saltwater around them. "...Oh."

"Yeah, _'oh.'_ " He groans, tearing off the large piece of kelp he was holding on to. "Use this to stop the bleeding. Come on, we gotta go back."

But Sakura frowns. "I don't want to go back," she mumbles.

Surprisingly, Kero doesn't protest. "Then we at least need to get back in the tunnels, ok?" He presses. "We'll be in serious trouble if we stay out in the storm like this. The tunnels will at least give us cover."

Sakura nods, and moves to follow Kero back to the caves they came from.

As she does, though, a sudden light comes from behind her.

"Huh?" She looks back.

"Sakura?" Kero stops, looking back, too. "What's…" And he freezes.

Sitting there, in the middle of the sand, is… a flame. A bright blue flame, blazing against the currents. It's only about as big as Sakura's hand, but it's bright enough to light up the area around them.

"...What is that?" Sakura stares at it.

"Sakura," Kero's voice suddenly has an edge. "Get away from it. Right now."

"Why?" Sakura doesn't listen, moving closer to it. "It's… this is sacred fire, right?" Indeed, it does seem to resemble the sacred fire used in the castle kitchen-the magic fire that grants them the blessings of light and warmth in their kingdom. The blue color is calming, mesmerizing, even. "It's a different color from ours, though. Ours is gold…"

"Sakura I _told_ you to-"

Before Kero can finish-hop. The flame hops, bouncing in place, then jumping a few yards away. Sakura gasps, watching it as it bounces up and down in its new spot. "It moved!"

" _We need to move."_ Kero urges. "Sakura, _ignore the fire and go-"_

The fire hops away again, and Sakura immediately follows it.  
 _"Sakura!"_

Sakura ignores Kero's cries, following the flame as it hop, hop, hops across the ocean floor. Kero curses, whizzing after her. She knows they should get into the tunnels-the storm is going to be a real danger otherwise… but, that flame is so calming. Gentle and blue, making all the things she was so worried, scared about before fade away, one by one. Her being caught, her brother's anger, her running away, her being in this strange area of the sea… Actually, how did they even _get_ here? They've never gone this way through the tunnels since it's deeper underwater. And the currents in there were stronger than usual too, even if there was a storm brewing… but it doesn't really matter, right? After all, further she swims, the softer the currents become, until they're in calm waters again. She sees the blue flame jump into a forest of seaweed, and she follows without a second thought, as if hypnotized. She swims through the seaweed, feeling it tickle her chin, sting the cut of her arm. And eventually it parts, bringing her out into the open again. That's when Sakura finally stops, gasping softly.  
"Sakura!" She hears Kero call from behind her. "Sak _oof!_ " And feels him promptly crash into her back.

" _Ow…"_ he whines, then grits his teeth, looking up. "Hey!" He huffs. "What's the big…" It's when he looks up, that he sees the same thing she does. His mouth drops open, and he goes silent.

In front of them, is a turtle shell. Not a normal turtle shell, though. No, this turtle shell is much larger than any turtle Sakura has seen before. Larger than Sakura's room, even. Algae is creeping up the edges of the shell, so it must have been sitting here for a long time. It towers above them, looming large, the waters around it unusually still.

In front of the shell, the blue flame sits, bouncing up and down slowly in place. If it had eyes, Sakura would swear it was looking at her. As soon as she looks back, though, it hops into the shell and out of sight.

"...It went in." Sakura says, a little dazed. How did she get here? How long was she swimming?

"Sakura," Kero's voice is urgent. "We need to go. Now. We need to leave."

"No, it… it went in there." She points. "Can't we go in?"

"Listen. Do you see any fish around here?" Come to think of it, there are no fish in sight. "No, you don't. Do you know what no fish means? It means there's a predator. A big predator, that no fish want to mess with. Do not mess with the predator, Sakura. Just turn around, go back to the tunnels and-"

Sakura swims towards the turtle shell.

" _Sakura!"_

She knows it's a bad idea. A terrible idea, actually. What is she doing? Following a strange light, in the middle of a storm, into this strange shell? But it's as if she can't control her own movements. She has to follow it, she has to. Because something will happen, if she does.

But what?

As she swims deeper into the shell, Kero's protests echoing as he follows, she notices more algae. This kind is glowing, though. It's gleaming a soft blue color, just like the flame was, offering dim light as she ventures further. The deeper she goes, the more algae there is, until she's surrounded by blue light.

Eventually, she reaches the deepest, brightest part of the shell, and her eyes go wide at what she sees.

It's… a home. It seems like a home, anyways, to her. There's a hammock, in the corner. Countless shelves, filled with scrolls. A rug, a giant armchair. There are stranger things, though. Like the shark's teeth in jars on a shelf, next to other jars of herbs, scales, and what she's pretty sure are squids' eyeballs. The strange symbols she's never seen, scrawled onto parchment on the ground. Chains hanging off the ceiling, adorned with hundreds of precious jewels, glinting in the light. A cauldron with blue flame, like the one she followed, simmering beneath it.

There's this, and that, and of course the merman with the lower body of an octopus, smiling serenely at her.

"...Welcome," he smiles. "Princess Sakura."

Sakura's eyes grow huge, as she stares. She's seen many merfolk in her time being alive. There's Tomoyo, with her jellyfish tail. Knights with the fins of a shark. Merfolk with the tails of clownfish. They had visitors from the North, once, with the thick, blubbery tails of orca whales. But never-never, has she seen the long, inky black tentacles of an octopus on anyone of her kind, before.

So, she does what comes naturally to her: she screams.

" _KERO!"_

In the blink of an eye, the turtle shell is filled with light. Sakura shuts her eyes tight, and when her sight adjusts, she opens them to find Kero in front of her. His form is… vastly different, though.

Long, golden fur on his back. A white pelt that runs down the front of his torso. Red jewels on his head and chest, armor-like adornments surrounding them. Midway down, his fur melts and morphs into scales, sparkling gold in the light. The chimera like true form of Cerberus, Deity of the Pacific, gives a low growl of warning as he positions himself in front of Sakura, tail shielding her from view.

The merman simply blinks, his smile unwavering. "Oh, my."

"K-Kero," Sakura stammers, "w-w-who…"

"Sakura," Kero orders, "turn around. Get out. Hurry!"

"B-but-"

"Oh, don't say that," the eight-legged man says, "you only just got here, didn't you? I'm not even doing anything _bad-_ I'm just trying to introduce myself to Her Grace, Princess Sakura…"

"You're not going to try anything, while I'm here!" Kero barks in return. "Sakura! Out!"

But Sakura doesn't move. "...H-how…"  
The man tilts his head, his smile not moving an inch. "Hmm?"

"Sakura _I told you to-_ "

"How do you know my name?"

Kero growls, while the man's smile grows even wider.

"I know everything that happens in these oceans," he says. "How would I not know the name of my beloved Princess? Ah-please excuse my manners." He then lowers himself into a sweeping bow. "Your Loveliness, second heir to the throne, Princess Sakura of the Pacific Ocean. I am at your service."

"Oh-" Sakura frets at the sight of him bowing, and comes out from behind Kero, waving her hands. "Please-um, please don't bow! I mean…"

He looks up, and now that she's not focusing on all, um… _eight_ of his 'tails,' she can get a good look at his face. He's less a 'man' and moreso a 'boy,' actually. He looks like he's her age, when she gets a closer look. His hair is as inky black as his tentacles, and his eyes are a fine indigo blue. His skin is as pale as Yue's, too-understandable, Sakura assumes, if this dark turtle shell really is his home.

"...Are you afraid?" He inquires. "I can put a blanket over my 'tails' if needed… I know I am not the typical merman."

"Huh? Oh, no! No…" Sakura shakes her head. "I'm ok. I-I'm sorry for panicking, I just…"

He chuckles. "It is an understandable response. It's not often you meet a merman as, ah… 'well-armed' as I am." He chuckles.

Sakura finally smiles a little at his joke, even letting out a small giggle. "T-that's true…"

"Sakura!" Kero cries, trying to call her attention back. "What are you doing-get back here! This guy is dangerous!"

"Kero!" Sakura scolds back, frowning at him. "That's rude! Just because he's-he's _different_ from other merfolk doesn't mean he's _dangerous!"_

"You don't _understand!_ That guy is-"

"I'm the Witch of the Sea." The boy finishes, smiling.

Sakura stops short. Then, she looks back at him.

"...The Witch…" She feels a lump rising in her throat. "...of the… S-Sea?"

"Yes." He keeps smiling. "I mean, no normal mermaid could stop the storm currents in this area, right? Or create a moving flame that led you here… or collect all the little goodies I have in my home…"

Sakura blinks slowly, looking around. It's as if she's seeing everything here for the first time, again. The suspiciously-bubbling cauldron in the corner, with sacred flame of a different color… the parchment with bizarre, magical symbols scrawled all over it… the jar of eyeballs she was _sure_ were that of squid, but… i-if she squints, then… couldn't they also be the eyes of…?

She feels her blood run cold, as her head whips up to look at the boy, the words of her older brother's bedtime stories echoing in her head.

' _The Witch of the Sea lives in a big turtle's skeleton.'_

' _It lures in unsuspecting guppies so it can eat them whole.'_

' _If you venture too far from home, you'll get taken in by its magic, and never return...'_

And so, Sakura does the second-most natural thing that comes to her.

She passes out.


	6. A strong wish

"You're a sick son of a gun, you know that?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."  
"Don't even try and joke about this. How is it that when she passed out, the storm just _conveniently_ started up again?"

"I told you, that couldn't be helped. Even I can't hold back a storm for too long."

"Yeah, well. I'm still calling bullshit."

"..."

"So. What number are you on, now?"

"Judging from the tails? I have eight, so this will be incarnation number nine."

"How convenient, that you're on the number that just so happens to resemble an octopus."

"Well, it certainly made things easier… though she would have screamed either way."  
"...And? What name are you going by this time?"

"I'll introduce myself when she wakes up."

"Just try to. I'm getting her out of here as soon as she's well enough to move."

"I'd advise against it. You'll be whipped away with that storm as soon as you leave the shell."

"Then stop the currents long enough for us to get back to the tunnel."

"No."

"You _sick son of a-"_

"Ah, hush. I think she's waking up…"

* * *

Sakura stirs slowly. When she opens her eyes, she is met with blue light, all around her.

"Sakura?" Kero's voice is gentle, helping her to wake. "You alright?"

"Kero…" She sighs, feeling his warm fur against her cheek as she nestles against his pelt. "What…?"

"You passed out." and she looks up to find the Witch of the Sea moving towards her, tentacles bringing him slowly across the floor. He leans down to her level when he reaches her, holding a bottle with a glowing orange liquid inside. "Here. Drink this-it will help you to wake up properly."

Sakura automatically reaches out for the bottle, but her hands twitch. Should she really be accepting bottles from a boy claiming to be (and who most likely is) the Witch of the Sea? She glances at Kero, who gives a look that says no, she really shouldn't be.

"You can smell it, first." The Witch offers. "Even my concoctions wouldn't fool the Deity of the Pacific's nose. Besides, she needs _some_ kind of medicine-she's been out in the cold currents until now, and she'll get sick otherwise."

This seems to pacify Kero, at least a little. He leans forward, sniffing the contents of the bottle. "...Hm." And he exhales, nodding.

The Witch's face lights up with a smile, and he moves closer to Sakura. "Drink," he encourages, moving the bottle to her lips and helping her to drink it.

Sakura drinks obediently. She feels the viscous contents go down her throat, and a rush of warmth flows through her body, prickling pleasantness tickling her everywhere. It's like someone managed to bring the sun underwater, and she sighs at the feeling. All of a sudden, the chills and drowsiness she had before are gone.

The Witch smiles more, pulling back. "Feeling better?"

She nods. "...Y-yes."

"Good." He moves across the room, picking a rag up to clean the bottle. "That one's called a 'Sunspot,' in my recipes. You can probably tell why. It's made from ruby extract, the scales of an angelfish, cinnamon…"

Sakura blinks. "Ci… na-mon?" She tries repeating.

"Ah, my apologies." He chuckles. "Cinn-a-mon. It's a common human spice."

"O-oh." A human spice. How would he have access to that? Well… he _is_ the Witch of the Sea, apparently.

"I also put a bandage around your cut, so be careful not to move it too much." the Witch continues. "Also… I'm afraid the storm has started up again. I could only hold it back for so long… I'm sorry, but it seems you'll have to wait here until it subsides." Kero lets out a derisive snort, but says nothing.

Sakura nods, though. "Y-yes… thank you, for letting me stay here." She bows her head, embarrassed. "I'm s-sorry I fainted. I just…"

"It's a natural response." The Witch assures her. "I know the rumors about me aren't exactly… savory. Ah-" He looks at her. "But I promise I didn't lure you here to eat you. And you really can go home once the storm ends."

Sakura offers a weak smile. "...They also say you live in a shark's skeleton, rather than a turtle shell."

The Witch frowns. "Is _that_ what they're saying?" He sighs, turning back to his bottles. "First it was an abandoned ship, then a whale, now a shark… they could at least make them _bigger._ "

That quip makes Sakura giggle. For someone that's apparently the Witch of the Sea, he's not very threatening at all. "...A-and those eyeballs in the jar…" She looks at the jar again. "...They're not… _merfolk_ eyes, are they?"

"What? Heavens, no. They're squid."

Sakura sighs in relief-so it really was her imagination, after all. She looks around the room again, and gasps softly when she sees a new figure in the hammock. "W-wha…"

In the hammock is a large lump of black fur that she's sure wasn't there before. It's definitely some kind of large animal-she can make out its ears, its whiskers, its long, brilliant blue tail, curled around itself as it slumbers. She sees the beast yawn in its sleep, and she stares at its sharp white teeth.

The Witch follows her gaze, and blinks. "Ah… don't mind him." He says. "Spinel got home while you were asleep. My apologies for him taking the hammock… you seemed comfortable with Cerberus, though."

"No, it's ok!" Sakura shakes her head, unable to take her eyes off 'Spinel.' "...He… he looks like Kero."

The Witch chuckles, while Kero grumbles something along the lines of: 'not nearly as cool as me.'

" _Hey!"_ And then, another voice comes from further down the shell-cave. "Is our guest- _oh!"_

Sakura looks up to find a mermaid swimming towards them now. Her skin is slightly tanned, and her hair is long and red, parts of it held up with bows. Her tail is black, with small, glittering red scales here and there and a bright red fin to match.

"You're _awake!"_ The mermaid cheers, practically zipping to Sakura's side. "How do you feel? Are you ok? Are you really the _princess!?_ Oh, you're so _cute,_ how did you-"

"Um-I-t-that's…" Sakura gives the Witch a very clearly coded look of _'help,'_ as Kero snarls in warning.

The Witch chuckles. "Ruby," he calls, "she just woke from a fainting spell, so please don't bother her. Could you please put away the ingredients you brought?"

The mermaid, 'Ruby,' pouts. "Fiiine," she whines, going to the shelves of jars and putting away 'ingredients' she had been carrying in a bag. The whole time, she keeps glancing at Sakura, who refuses to meet her gaze.

The Witch recognizes Sakura's questioning gaze, and smiles. "They're my companions," he answers simply. Nothing more, nothing less.

Sakura somehow feels it would be impolite to ask further, so she restrains herself. She looks out towards the entrance of the shell-she can only see a very faint light in the distance, but even then she can make out the flying shapes of seaweed being whipped around by the currents. The storm is at its high point.

"...T-thank you," she stammers. "For letting me stay here…" Even if he is the Witch of the Sea, by now Sakura is fairly sure she'd rather be in here than out there.

"It's no trouble." He nods. "I led you here to begin with. It's only fair I offer my protection, as well."

She stares at him, curious. "Do you have a name?" She asks. "Or…"

The Witch blinks. "Ah, how rude of me! I'm so sorry. I don't socialize much, so I'm a bit rusty at this sort of thing." He turns to her, bowing. "I am the Witch of the Sea, yes… but for my personal address, you may call me Eriol."

"...Eriol." She repeats the name slowly, and smiles. "...It's a pretty name."

He smiles. "You flatter me."

The next few minutes pass in relative silence. Eriol is writing in a scroll, Spinel continues to snooze away, and Ruby puts away ingredients and tidies up the shelves. Kero keeps himself curled protectively around Sakura, who stays nestled safely against him. Still, she doesn't look away from Eriol, her gaze curious. Eventually, she calls out.

"Eriol?"

"Hmm?"

"You said you 'led' me here." She says. "What did you mean?"

"Ahh, that." He looks up from his parchment. "I sensed that you were in the area. I knew the storm wouldn't be safe for you, so I calmed the currents and led you here." He pauses. "I would have just come out to retrieve you myself, but… well. Judging from how you reacted upon first seeing me, I'm sure you can understand why that wasn't the best option."  
Sakura flushes again. "I-I'm sorry."

"No need." He chuckles. "...Would you mind if I asked a question, next?"

"Go ahead."

"Why did you run away from home?"

Sakura goes silent, upon that question. She looks down, suddenly feeling a pit of shame well up in her stomach. Which is even more depressing, because deep down, she _knows_ she has nothing to be ashamed about.

"...I had a fight with my brother." When Eriol doesn't say anything, she continues, "He found out that I've been going to the surface. He wasn't happy, he was angry and going to tell our father to keep me in the castle and I…" She starts feeling the lump from before rise in her throat again. "...I ran away."

The silence persists a moment longer. When Sakura looks up, she sees that Eriol isn't smiling, for once.

"I'm sorry," he replies, his eyes sympathetic. "I don't have siblings, but… I can imagine how that would be upsetting."

Sakura says nothing, but relaxes a little at his kind words. Kero offers no words of protest this time. With every gentle gesture Eriol makes, he seems to relax a little more.

A few more moments of quiet pass. Only the soft crackling of the fire echoes in the old turtle shell.

"You know," Eriol says, offhandedly. "People don't end up here on accident."

"...Huh?" Sakura looks up at him.

"You got here through the tunnels, correct? But that should be impossible. The way here is invisible due to my magic. It's to prevent intruders from entering my little pocket of the ocean."

She stares at him, confused. "...But I did end up here on accident." She says. "I-I was just swimming randomly, and by coincidence I…"

"There's no such thing as coincidence," Eriol says. "There is only the inevitable."

She tilts her head. "What… does that mean?"

"The door to this place will only open for one reason." He explains. "And that is when the visitor has a strong 'wish.' The power of that wish is what opens the door… so that they may ask me to grant it."

"A strong wish…" Sakura murmurs. Her brow knits, as she looks down at her tail.

"So I ask you, Princess Sakura." Eriol looks at her.

"What was your wish?"

Sakura doesn't look up. She simply keeps staring at her tail, lost in her own thoughts for a moment. A wish… a strong wish. She thinks back to that desperate moment when she was flying through the tunnels, her heart ready to fall apart, as she was wishing that… wishing that…

"I wished that… I could go to the surface."

Kero's entire body stiffens, underneath her. Eriol's expression doesn't change.

"Not just as a mermaid," she continues, "but-but with legs. Real legs. To walk around on, to see the flowers, the funny animals… to eat the food they eat… to meet humans, to... to feel the sun." Her voice becomes thick as she talks, and tears threaten to brim at her eyes again. "I was wishing that more than anything. No… I think…" the tears spill over, and she sniffs. "...I think I've been wishing it for a long, long time. And-when Big Brother found out that I was going up there-he said I wouldn't be able to go anymore, and… and I-I…"

She wipes her eyes clumsily, taking a few deep breaths. Kero nudges his large nose against her cheek, trying to comfort her.

Eriol glances at Ruby, who is already offering a handkerchief. He takes it, and moves to Sakura's side, kneeling to give it to her. "Here." He smiles. "A cute princess shouldn't shed such tears."

Sakura sniffs again, taking the handkerchief gratefully. For a Witch of the Sea, he really is kind. "...T-thank you."

Eriol nods, watching her as she wipes away her tears. "...You know…" he starts, "I can do that for you."

She looks up. "D-do what?"

"Let you walk on the surface."

Sakura's eyes grow wide. At the same time, she feels the rumble of Kero's chest underneath her as he growls threateningly.

"Don't screw around," he snarls, speaking for the first time in a while. "I've been easy on you for a while, but if you even _think_ you're going to-"

"I don't think it's what you're imagining." Eriol cuts him off, voice dry. "I'm not about to steal her voice, or give her legs in constant pain."

"Is that so?" Kero retorts, angered. "Because in the past-"

" _I am not the past."_

Kero stammers to a halt, at that. Eriol stares back at him, unsmiling, unflinching.  
"I'm not him, or any of the others." He says. "I'm not going to cause her harm without a purpose."

Kero falters, unable to come up with a comeback. "...W-well," he grumbles. "Forgive me if I have trouble believing that."

Sakura is having trouble following the conversation. But… "...U-um," she speaks up, meekly. "Can you really… help me walk on the surface?"

"Sakura-" Kero starts.

"I can." Eriol nods. "My magic would make such a thing simple. There would be certain rules or guidelines to follow… but otherwise, you would be able to walk on the surface like a normal human girl."

"How?" Sakura looks intrigued, now.

"Well…" Eriol flicks his hand, and the parchment he had been writing on floats over. Unlike the other scrolls he had, this one has writing Sakura can understand. "I've been writing a contract, while you were resting."

"A _contract,_ " Kero huffs. "Because that's not shady _at all._ "

"All magic such as this requires a contract, Cerberus. You should know this."

"W-would I have to give up my voice?" Sakura asks, nervous. "Or my tail? I don't want to do it if…" She trails off. She doesn't want to go up there if it means that she could never go back.

"Read the contract." Eriol suggests. "Then ask questions."

Sakura takes a deep breath, nodding, and looking down at the contract.

 _By signing this contract, I declare that I understand and accept the following terms:_

 _I will be granted my wish of having legs to walk, when I am one with the light._

 _I will be privileged with retaining a tail to swim, when I am one with water._

 _Under these terms, I do accept the truth that signing this contract will remove from me my title as one with the water, and instead invoke upon me the privileges of freely moving between the forms of being one with light, and one with water. These privileges are invoked upon the following rules: when completely one with light, I shall have the form, shape, and abilities of those that walk on land. However, if I do touch a drop of water, I shall once again take the form, shape, and abilities of those that dwell beneath the sea._

 _In signing this contract, I make the above pact with the Covenant of the Sun and the Moon, for the cycle of one solar revolution._

 _Signed x _  
_

"...I don't understand a damn word of this," Kero growls, reading over Sakura's shoulder.

"What does it mean, 'one with light?'" Sakura asks, looking up.

"It means that whenever you are dry," Eriol explains, "you will change form, into that of a human. However, on the flip side… it also means that the moment you do touch a drop of water, you will return to your original form. This is the 'risk' incorporated with the contract… my apologies, but it is the best I can offer." He nods. "Still-it seems a much better deal than giving up your voice, or trading a tail for legs constantly pricked by knives, isn't it?"

Sakura nods, reading the contract again. "It says the pact will last 'one solar revolution…'"

"That's a day." Kero clarifies. "A revolution is when the world spins around the sun once… so I guess this would last 24 hours." He still doesn't look too happy about it, though.

Eriol doesn't respond to that, instead looking at Sakura. "So? Will you sign? Everything is laid out here in the contract, as written."

Sakura reads the contract. A second time, then a third.

"I…" She looks up at Eriol. "I really… won't have to give up my tail? Or my voice? I-I won't be in pain…?"

"Correct."

She looks back at the contract, "...Then… I…" and slowly, she nods.

"I-I'll sign."

"Wh-" Kero looks at her, eyes wide. _"Sakura!_ You can't just-"

"This might be my last chance, Kero." Sakura looks back at him, and her eyes are filled with a new sort of determination. "My last chance to go up there, to see what it's like on the surface. You know they'll put more guards all around me, when I get back-especially since I ran away now! I'll never be able to go up there again! So, at least now… while I still have the chance, I…  
"...I want to visit the surface."

Kero stares at her, stunned. He's at a loss for words. Not because of her insistence on this, but because he's never seen her want something so desperately before. His jaw sets in a frown, as he looks back at the contract, rereading it.

He looks up at Eriol. "...There's no risk to her health?"

Eriol shakes his head. "None."

"And it'll only last for one day?"

He shrugs. "Like the contract says: It will last one solar revolution."

Kero glares him down, as if trying to find any trace of a lie within his eyes. He doesn't seem to find one, though, because his shoulders heave in a sigh. He looks at Sakura, his golden eyes serious.

"...I'm going with you."

Sakura's eyes light up. "Kero… a-are you sure?"

"Don't get me wrong-I'm still not sure about this." He sighs. "But I know you'll come searching for this place again without me, if I refuse here. So… at least like this, I can keep you safe." His eyes soften, as he looks up at her. "...I'm your guardian, after all."

Sakura feels her heart swell, and she throws her arms around Kero, hugging him tight.

"...Thank you," she whispers. Kero nuzzles his snout against her, closing his eyes.

When she pulls back, she looks at Eriol, eyes full of resolve. "I'll sign." She repeats.

Eriol smiles. "Very good. Ruby?" With his words, Ruby swims towards them, handing Eriol a fishbone quill. "You may read the contract as many more times as you like. Then, you may sign."

Sakura takes the pen carefully in her hand. She moves to the contract, but is cut off.

"Wait," Kero interrupts. "I just thought of something."

"Hmm?"

"What is she going to do about humans? I mean, of course she'll _look_ like one," he points out, "but it's not like she has any human clothes. She'll stand out a mile…"

"Ah… that." Eriol offers an enigmatic smile in return. "Don't worry about that. I've made arrangements to that end already."

"Arrangements?" Kero's face scrunches in confusion, but then his brow raises in understanding. "Wait. You don't mean…"

"Just know that everything is taken care of, to ensure the Princess's safety." Eriol looks back at her. "Sakura?"

"Y-yes." She nods. "I'm… I'm ready."

She holds the quill in her hand, bringing it down to the parchment. She notices her hand is trembling. Is this really a good idea? What if something goes wrong? What if she's captured by humans? What if, what if, what if…

Something strange happens, though, the closer the quill's tip gets to the dotted line. Sakura feels something new entering her. A trickle at first, then a stream, then a surge. She realizes that she's making this decision herself. She's not abiding by her kingdom's rules, nor the silly merfolk taboos, nor the warnings of everyone around her. She's making a decision to leave in pursuit of what she truly wants. Sand beneath her feet. Sun beating down on her skin. Eating new things, seeing new sights, meeting the boy that's captured her heart. It's liberating, it's dazzling, it's…

It's freedom.

With a steady hand, Sakura signs her name.

 _Signed x __ _さくら_ __  
_

At that moment, everything changes.

The bioluminescent algae around them begins to glow, brighter than ever. Under the cauldron, the sacred flame sparks, burning high. And beneath Sakura, a bright light begins to shine. She looks down, gasping, to find a circle unravelling on the floor. It's almost blinding, runes writing themselves on the edges, a sun and moon intertwining in the center.

"The contract has been sealed," Eriol proclaims, his voice lowering, as he holds out a hand. "Princess Sakura, second heir to the Pacific… your wish shall be granted."

With his words, Sakura begins to feel a change within herself. It's a tingly, prickly sensation. It's warm and light, cold and heavy, neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. Slowly, she feels something begin to leave her. She isn't sure what it is. At the same time, though, the warmth grows bigger, brighter, until she feels as if she's being blinded from the inside.

Bubbles begin to rise from the circle, surrounding her, enveloping her, and she feels them touch her skin, clinging to it. Soon enough, she feels as if she's becoming bubbly, herself. Her skin fizzles, her consciousness begins to fade. She hears Kero shout, curling himself around her in protection. As her sight begins to blur, she looks at Eriol, his dark blue eyes becoming the only thing she can make out. What should she say? Can she even say anything? She should apologize for screaming and fainting when they met. She should thank him for helping her to fulfill her wish. She should…

Sakura opens her mouth to speak, but Eriol beats her to it.

"Wait for a boy by the name of Li."

With those words, Sakura closes her eyes, and slips into unconsciousness.

* * *

Syaoran walks down the park path with Yukito as usual, both of them holding ice cream cones as they make their way home from school. He'd tried to ask Yukito why in the world he wanted ice cream in spring, but Yukito had simply laughed and said that it was their last opportunity, since it would be getting colder in the coming months. Syaoran doesn't know why he bothered protesting-it's impossible to get in the way of Yukito and his snacks.

"The park again." Yukito observes. "Syaoran-kun, are you avoiding something?"

"What? No." Syaoran responds quickly. "Not at all." He doesn't think he's lying, at any rate. He's not avoiding anything in _particular-_ it's just that the feeling of being watched is never pleasant, especially when he can't tell where it's coming from. Though, maybe their imaginary stalker has moved on to greener pastures, now that they've been (not) avoiding the seaside path for so long.

Yukito hums, but doesn't press the subject. It's something Syaoran has always appreciated, how he doesn't pursue things further than needed. "Ok," Yukito relents. "Ah, are you doing anything tonight? Want to come over for dinner? That game show I mentioned yesterday will be on tonight!"

He raises a brow. "Game show?"

"You know-the one where the contestant enters a room, and has to figure out what everyday object in it is made of candy!" Yukito beams. "Last week, it was the TV!"

"...And they figure this out by…?"

He blinks. "Biting into everything, of course."

Syaoran's lived in Japan for six years now, and yet he still somehow manages to be shocked and sometimes disturbed at the 'game shows' here. "I really hope you don't imitate that show," he sighs, "But ok. I'll come."

Yukito smiles bright. "I'll make takoyaki!"

"Why do you keep making food that's not suited to the season…?"

The two continue walking and bantering, and are headed up the stairs of their apartment building, when suddenly Syaoran's phone goes off.

"Hm?" Yukito tilts his head to see Syaoran's phone buzzing away in his bag. "You've been getting a lot of phone calls lately, Syaoran-kun."

Syaoran frowns. Is Meiling calling again? He takes his phone out of his bag, looking at it… and stops walking.

"...Syaoran-kun?" Yukito stops too, looking back.

"...I-it's… my mother."

"Huh?" The older boy blinks. "But didn't you just have your call with her yesterday?"

Syaoran doesn't reply, feeling his mouth go a little dry. His mother is one to strictly schedule anything and everything-she wouldn't just call out of the blue, like this. Still, that just means that he definitely can't ignore the call now. Taking a deep breath, he hits the 'answer' button, praying she doesn't start talking about him joining clubs again.

"Hello, Mo-"

" _Go to the beach."_

"...Huh?"

" _Go to the beach."_ His mother repeats, without a hint of her usual greeting. Her voice is sharp, urgent, as she orders him. _"Nemukai beach, closest to the fifth block, it's just down the street from you. There's a stretch of beach there behind some rocks-you know the one I'm speaking of, right?"_

"I-yes, Mother, but wh-"

" _Go there. Alone. Bring a change of clothes. Hurry."_ She commands. _"And call me as soon as you arrive home."_

 _What is going on?_ Syaoran frowns, his brow furrowed. "M-Mother, I don't understand. Why do I have to…"

" _I can't answer anything now, things are busy here."_ Come to think of it, Syaoran can hear some kind of commotion on the other end-the shuffle of footsteps, the faint echo of the clan elders' voices. _"Just do as I say, and call me when finished."_

And then-click. The call ends.

Syaoran looks down at his phone, stunned. ...What just happened?

"...Syaoran-kun?" Yukito calls. "Is something wrong? What did your mother want?"

"...She says I need to… go to the beach." When he says it out loud, it sounds even more bizarre.

"The beach?" Yukito tilts his head. "Why?"

"I don't know. But I have to go now." Syaoran hurries up the stairs, going to his apartment door to fetch the change of clothes.

"Ah-Syaoran-kun!" Yukito follows him. "Do you want me to come with you? I can…"

"No!" Syaoran's response is tense, so he tries to relax himself, clearing his throat. "I-I mean… I'll only be gone for a bit. I'll be back to eat dinner with you. Ok?" His mother said he had to go alone, after all.

Yukito looks concerned, but he nods. "Ok…"

Syaoran goes into his apartment, not bothering to change out of his school uniform as he heads to his room and throws a change of clothes into his bag. Just as quickly, he's running out, thankful that Yukito isn't still out there waiting for him. He hurries down the stairs and dashes down the street, his mind still buzzing with confusion. What's going on? He's never heard his mother so on-edge, before. What was the commotion, too? Is something happening at the beach? He tries to think of something that would involve him, and a change of clothes. He draws a blank. The best he can even _imagine_ is some important business associate visiting Nemukai for some reason, becoming lost and… dirty? From falling in the ocean? The more he thinks about it, the more confused he gets.

He reaches the beach in question, and is thankful to find no one there. It's a rather lonely beach, after all-there's too many rocks to swim safely, plus it's small, to boot. Syaoran climbs down the rocks, and when his feet touch the sand, he begins to look around. There's no one in sight-only the white sand, the blue sea, and a small wall of rocks at the end of the beach.

He frowns. What's going on? There's nothing here. He feels his phone buzz again, and takes it out, glancing at it. It's his mother again, but this time, it's just a text.

 _[Did you find her?]_

'Her?' So it really is some lost business associate? Syaoran glances around again, finding nothing but empty beach, until his eyes settle on the rocks a few meters away. That's right-she did mention it, the small shore behind those rocks. Still puzzled, he walks towards the end of the beach. As he does, he hears something.

"Does it look ok?" It's a voice. A high-pitched, flute-like voice, that for some reason makes him stop in his tracks.

"Perfect!" And then, a second voice. This one has… an Osakan accent? "See? Now you're decent, _and_ fashionable!"

"I don't know… is it really ok? We took this without permission…"

"It's ok, it's ok. It's an emergency, right?"

"I guess… but what now?"

"Well, the Octowitch told us to wait, didn't he? Ah-step away from the water, you're too close."

"Oh! You're right. Thanks, Kero…" The flutey voice sighs. "...I wonder where he is…"

'He?' Does that person mean… him? It makes sense. They're clearly waiting for someone, and they spoke of an 'emergency.' It has to be these people, that his mother is telling him to find.

Syaoran starts forward, but pauses. ...Just what is going on, anyways? No matter what the situation, this really is strange. His mother's panic. The commotion he heard over the phone. These two people, apparently lost, that his mother refused to tell him about…

Well, worrying won't do anything. He shakes his head, grips the strap of his bag, and steps out past the rocks as he calls out. "Excuse me…"

At that moment, everything changes.

When Syaoran sees what is waiting for him there, he feels the world go still. It's as if the Earth stops spinning, for a brief moment. Everything is silent, save for the soft crash of the ocean waves at his feet. Everything stops. His thoughts, his breath, his heart.

Because right in front of him, is a girl. A girl with short auburn hair, rosy skin, and… and what he's pretty sure is a tablecloth, tied sloppily around her body.

"Hm?" The girl hears him, and looks up across the sand to find him there, meeting his gaze. Her eyes are bright green, the color of emeralds and seaglass.

When her green eyes lock onto his amber ones, it suddenly hits Syaoran. An earth-shattering, life-changing suspicion that his 'normal days' have just come to a shrieking halt.

And as if confirming that suspicion on the spot, the girl's eyes light up, gleaming in the springtime sun as she gasps.

" _Are you Li?!"_


	7. I must be dreaming

In the stories, they always said that growing legs hurt.

Your tail feeling as if it was being sliced in two, by the sharpest of knives. Your throat searing hot, the pain so much that you would scream, if you still had a voice. Your very soul being ripped apart, fizzing and popping, your penance for betraying the sea in favor of the sun.

...They were just that though, Sakura realized. Stories.

In reality, she is enveloped by warmth. There is no burning, no pain. Instead, it's as if a tiny star forms inside her, meager, but shining. The light grows, brighter, brighter, spreading throughout her entire body. Warming her, changing her. She feels the sensation of being lifted upwards, higher, higher, towards the world she's only dreamed of, until now.

…

…

…

She doesn't know how long it is. But once her consciousness begins to stir again, she feels the warmth of the sun, against her skin. Underneath her is… sand? It's not regular sand, though. Not wet, viscous, like the sand underwater. This is… light. Grainy? It's strange, different, yet familiar. In her ears, she hears… a voice. A very familiar voice. Yelling, calling—

" _Sakura!"_

She takes a breath, oxygen filling her lungs. And she opens her eyes.

"Finally, you're awake!" Sakura hears Kero say, as he heaves a sigh of relief. "You were sleepin' so deep, for a second I thought you were seriously out…"

"Mm—sorry, Ke…" Sakura looks at her companion… and blinks, a few times. "...ro?"

Kero's shape is… different. He's back in his smaller form—still has that familiar cute face, the golden-yellow color. But the fins that were atop his head are gone. Instead, they've been replaced with… ears? Not human ears—different ones, animal ones. She's seen them on the furry creatures that walk with humans, curl up in shop windows. They're round, and they look fuzzy. His tail is gone, too, replaced by two hind legs. On his back are white wings, which keep him afloat in the air.

"Hn? What is it?"

"You…" Sakura blinks again, stunned. "...y-your… tail. And your fins… where… how?"

"Ah? Ahh…" Kero nods back to his wings. "I'm the great Deity of the Pacific, y'know? It'd be pathetic, if I couldn't do this much!"

"Y-you never told me! We came up here so many times, and you never—"

"I was trying to get you to keep your head underwater to stay out of sight," Kero reminds. "I wasn't about to go flying around to introducing myself to humans… Anyways, forget about me. How do you feel?"

"Feel? What do you mean?"

"What," he huffs. "Did you forget how we got here in the first place?" And he nods his head downwards.

Sakura follows his gaze downwards. She sees her chest, uncovered, much to her embarrassment. Her tummy. Her waist. Her tail…

...Tail…

...

...Not her tail.

Attached to Sakura's hips, are two very unfamiliar extremities. Long, pale, slender. Covered in not scales, but skin.

Sakura stares at them, stunned. She can't speak, can't move, for a solid minute. Kero patiently awaits her response.

"H-how," she finally stammers. "How do I… use them?"

"Same as your tail, I guess. Octowitch musta put muscles in there, right?"

She gulps, nodding. Slowly, she flexes some of the unfamiliar muscles. She sees one of her knees twitch upwards, and gasps loudly in shock.

" _T—they moved!"_

"Ok, good, no faulty legs. Can you stand?"

"H-how do I…"

"Here, look." He lowers himself to the ground in front of her, resting on his two hind legs. "Just spread 'em out, keep your center of gravity in the middle, and balance!"

Eager to try it out, Sakura scrambles upwards, lifting herself up on her feet.

She keeps her feet together, though, and subsequently falls flat onto her face.

" _Augh—"_ Kero yelps. _"No—_ not like that, not like that! You've got _two_ legs, for crying out loud, use 'em!"

"Right—right!" Undeterred, Sakura eagerly gives it another shot, keeping her legs apart this time. She wobbles backwards, though, beginning to fall again. "Whoa—"

Kero immediately zips into the air, flying behind her and catching her, pressing against her back.

" _Oof—_ y-you ok?"

"Y-yeah!"

"I'm gonna push you back up, so try and keep steady on your feet, ok?"

"Got it!"

Gently, Kero pushes her back upwards, Sakura eventually getting back on her two— _two,_ she thinks, amazed—feet. Her knees wobble dangerously, and she teeters around for a moment, ready to fall again if even a gust of wind happens to blow.

Thankfully, Kero is quick to coach her. "Not too far forward—there, just like that. Pull your hips back a little. Feet apart, turn the left one out a little—no, your _other_ left. Ok, hold your shoulders back a bit… straighten your back, aaand… perfect!"

Sakura is now standing up straight, taking deep breaths so as not to ruin her concentration. "T-this is…" She lets out a breathy laugh. "E-easier than I thought!"

"Not so fast, kid," Kero nods, "you still gotta learn how to walk. Move your leg forward."

Sakura immediately swings her leg upward, keeping it completely straight. She almost falls, and Kero's about to fly to her rescue, but she manages to catch herself.

"Not like _that_ —bend the knee a little, raise the thigh! Move it like a pendulum—here, watch…"

It takes about a half hour, but Sakura's always been a quick learner when it comes to physical activity. Her enthusiasm is a big help, too. Soon enough, she's striding proudly in circles around the small, hidden beach cove they washed up in.

"Ha… haha!" She laughs, cheeks pink. "K-Kero, look! I'm walking, I'm _walking!_ Ah, this must be a dream-I-I'm not dreaming though, am I?!" She actually skips a little, but in the process, comes dangerously close to the ocean's edge.

"Whoa, watch it!" Kero grabs her, pulling her back. "You're not dreaming, and-and are you forgetting the contract?!"

"C-contract?"

"Augh, you really did forget, huh." He groans. "Look down for a minute. Not at your legs, your collar."

Sakura does as he says, and finds an unfamiliar ornament, hanging from her neck.

"...What… is this?" She murmurs, holding it up. It's tiny, and it looks like a key. It gleams silver in the light, its upper body in a shape that resembles those… birds? Right, birds, that she saw circling the surface at times. The beak shines blue, glittering in the sun, and she almost swears she can see the waves of the ocean, tiny lights shaped like fish, within it. The other side, however, has a wing on it, held in place by a beautiful white pearl. "It's so pretty…"

"It's your contract." Kero explains. "Hold it and say: 'Release.'"

Sakura nods. "Um… 'release."

Immediately, the key glows, and shines outwards. Though there's nothing to reflect off of, Sakura can see words of light, being projected in front of her.

"...This is…" She leans in, reading the text. It's familiar. _'By signing this contract…' 'one with light…' 'covenant…' 'one solar revolution…_ ' "Ah. It's what I signed, back then…"

"Your contract," Kero clarifies. "Guess the Witch knew he had to give you a copy… at least it's not a scroll like you signed, that'd be a hassle to carry around." He looks at her. "Listen. You gotta carry that with you all day, ok? I don't want the Witch pulling any funny stuff under our nose."

"Eriol seemed kind, though…" Sakura hums, though, staring at her signature on the contract's projection.

"I don't care how he _'seemed,'_ just make sure you don't lose that contract!"

"Yes, yes." Sakura sighs, closing her fist around the key. When she opens her hand up again, the key has stopped projecting the contract. She looks around, eyes beginning to gleam again. "So, this is the human world…"

"Yep." Kero looks around with her. "Looks like we washed up on the beach."

"I want to look aro—"

"Hold your seahorses, kid." Kero cuts her off. "Before we move around, we gotta get you some clothes."

"O-oh!" She looks down, blushing when she sees herself. "Y-you're right… but—w-where can I get some?"

"Wait here."

"Eh?!"

Without hesitating, the guardian flies off. Sakura frets, but doesn't move from her spot, as she looks around nervously.

Soon enough, though, "got 'em!" Kero flies back. He's just barely managing to hold a large, pure white cloth in his mouth and paws.

"W-where'd you get that?" Sakura asks.

"Found it hangin' outside a house."

"Wha—huh?!" The former mermaid panics. "K-Kero, that isn't good! Isn't that stealing?!"

"It's not stealing if we really need it!" He huffs. "It's just a tablecloth, it won't be missed—they'll just think it blew away with the wind." Sakura pouts, unconvinced, and Kero rolls his eyes. "C'mon, don't make that face. Raise your arms."

Sakura still isn't comfortable with the idea of stealing, but she raises her arms anyways. Kero makes her hold a corner of the cloth, wrapping the material around her body.

"This aside…" Kero comments as they work, "He sure is late, huh?"

"Who is?"

"What, have you forgotten already?" Kero frowns. "The witch told us, didn't he? 'Wait for a boy by the name of Li.'"

"Li…" Sakura hums, holding some fabric in place for Kero to tye a knot around. "Do you know him?"

"Not exactly..." Kero looks up, musing. "You could say I know… _of_ him?"

"What is that supposed to—"

"There—all done!"

She's cut off by Kero's cry of triumph, and looks down at herself. The cloth is now tied into a makeshift dress, albeit a sloppy one.

"Does it look ok?" She asks, doubtful. This doesn't look much like what the humans wear.

"Perfect!" Kero reassures her, though. "See? Now you're decent, _and_ fashionable!"

"I don't know… is it really ok?" She sighs, still a bit guilty. "We took this without permission…"

"It's ok, it's ok. It's an emergency, right?"

"I guess…" Sakura looks up at him. "But what now?"

"Well, the Octowitch told us to wait, didn't he? Ah—" A wave washes up near Sakura's ankles, and Kero flies behind her, giving her a little nudge. "Step away from the water, you're too close."

"Oh! You're right. Thanks, Kero." Sakura gets a few steps away from the water's edge, looking out over the ocean. It's wide, and vast, and… somehow, it's so hard to believe that she was underneath that rippling surface, a short time ago. And soon, she'll be back underneath that blue horizon. ...She doesn't have much time. She only has a day—maybe less than that, depending on how long she and Kero were unconscious. Her heart fills with a steadfast determination. As soon as she finds Li, she'll see it all. See, hear, feel everything on the surface, everything that she's longed for, for so long. This is her last chance, after all. Restless, she glances around.

"...I wonder where he is…"

"Excuse me…"

It's then that Sakura hears a voice calling out to her, and she gasps in surprise. As she looks up, she can feel Kero diving into the folds of her dress, hiding out of sight.

Standing in front of her, is… a boy. A human boy. He looks to be about her age, more or less. He's just barely taller than her, his skin lightly tanned, chestnut curls of hair framing his face as he stares at her with wide, amber eyes. He's also… strangely familiar. Where has she seen this boy, before? And why is he in an out-of-the way cove like this? ...Then, though, she gasps. Wait—

" _Are you Li?!"_

Syaoran is no stranger to meeting acquaintances of his family's.

Since he was young, he has met with countless business associates, trade partners, even a few political figures, when visiting his family home. Though he's never been the talkative type, he knows the routine. Carry on a few lines of polite conversation, make some sightseeing recommendations, do your best to aid them with any trouble they might be having, then thank them for their continued good relations with the clan and bid them goodbye. He's even met with a few of these business associates while living in Nemukai, at his mother's behest-though these meeting seldom went further than exchanging polite greetings and a brief meal.

He's used to it. Meeting with these middle-aged businessmen, doting wives of CEOs, elderly politicians.

He is not used to… _this._

"Hey, are you Li? You're Li, right?!" The girl in front of him jumps around him like a curious seagull, talking excitedly. "You _must_ be Li, there's no other reason for you to be here!"

Syaoran does not answer.

"Did you come to pick me up-did Eriol send you, do you work for him?! Oh thank you, thank you, I was so worried about what I was going to do!"

Syaoran stays silent.  
"So, what did Eriol tell you? What's the plan? I don't really know anything about what's going on-I signed the contract and Eriol cast the spell and then…"

The girl is cut off by Syaoran thrusting a paper bag into her face.  
"Hweh-" she makes an odd noise, blinking her eyes in confusion.

" _...Put…"_ Syaoran speaks through gritted teeth, trying to ignore the burning in his cheeks. _"...some clothes on."_

"H-huh?" She blinks again. "But, I already have clothes-"

" _Those are not clothes."_

"...Oh. Oh!" The girl jumps, then huffs as she takes the bag. "I _knew_ it-see, Kero?! These aren't human clo-" She looks around, pausing. "...Kero?"

There's no response, and Syaoran frowns at the sky. Kero? Is there another person? He lowers his gaze just enough to survey the beach (as well as he can, while trying to avoid looking at the near-naked girl in front of him), but he doesn't find anyone there. His brow furrows in confusion. Is someone hiding? Or is this girl just crazy?

"Just wait a moment-I'll change!" The girl interrupts his thoughts, promptly untying the already fragile knot that was holding the tablecloth together. Syaoran yelps, turning his back just in time. "So, you're Li, right?"

"Erm-yes…" He has so many questions, but he decides to just focus on answering hers.

"Thank goodness! I had no idea how I was going to find you-I don't have a lot of time, and I really don't know my way around here… well, you probably already knew that, r-right?"

"Uh, _actually,"_ Syaoran struggles to keep the tension out of his voice, "I haven't… really been told anything. Just that I was picking you up at the beach… erm-w-what's your name?"

"I'm Sakura!"

Sakura? _Just_ Sakura? "Is that your given name?"

"Given?" She sounds honestly confused. Well, this conversation is going nowhere fast. Is she a foreigner? A foreigner with a weirdly Japanese name?

"What about your family?" He tries again, almost desperate this time. He _really_ doesn't want to call this- _stranger_ by her given name right off the bat. He can already hear his mother scolding him for improper manners. "What family do you belong to?"

"Oh!" The girl's voice brightens in understanding. "I belong to the royal family!"

 _What?_

" _What?"_ Syaoran's voice betrays his thoughts, and he's unable to stop himself from turning around again quickly, this time to face her.

Thankfully, the girl is fully dressed now. Though a tad loose, Syaoran's t-shirt and pants fit well enough-the _real_ problem is that the shirt is backwards, and the button of the pants is undone. Also, humiliatingly, she's holding up the pair of briefs Syaoran brought, frowning at them.

"Is this a hat?"

Syaoran chokes, his whole face flushing red again as he snatches his delicates from her hands and shoves them back into his bag. "What are you _doing-do you not know how to get dressed?!"_

"H-huh? I didn't do it right?!" Sakura's eyes open wide, and she reaches down, to pull the pants off. "W-wait a second, let me try aga-"

" _NO!"_ His voice raises as he grabs her wrists, stopping her. He is _not_ about to deal with teaching a girl his age how to get _dressed_ on top of everything. "That's-that's _fine,_ just… just do the button, at least."  
"Button?"

For the love of all that is holy, _please_ say you know what a button is. Syaoran points at the button of the pants, refusing to look.

Sakura's brows rise in recognition. "Oh!" She nods, and closes the button. With a bright smile, she looks back up at him. "H-how do I look? Do I look human?!"

 _You look like a crazy person,_ Syaoran thinks.

Thankfully, the sound of his phone ringing saves him from having to give an actual response. He checks the caller ID, and for the first time lets out a sigh of relief to see the word 'MOTHER' on his screen. He picks up, holding the phone to his ear.

"H-hello, Mo-"

" _Did you find her?"_ His mother's voice is abrupt and urgent.

"Uh, yes-I… I think? Mother, who _is_ this?" He turns away, doing his best to ignore the girl's wide-eyed stare as he speaks in whispers over the phone. "She says she's from the 'royal' family-but that can't be true, right? I've never heard of anyone in the Emperor's family by her name, not to mention she's…" Inept? Deluded? Batshit crazy? "...odd."

He hears a brief sigh of relief from his mother, before she speaks again.

" _Listen,"_ she orders. _"Get her back to your apartment. Do not stop anywhere, do not speak to anyone. Once you're back, you call me. I'll explain then. Do you understand?"_

"I mean-" This is all moving way too fast for Syaoran to 'understand.' There are just too many questions flying in his head. "Yes, I understand, but-"

Click. His mother hangs up before he can voice his doubts. Syaoran can only look at his phone in disbelief.

"...Was," Sakura whispers, her eyes shining. "Was that box j-just… _talking?_ "

He looks up at her, unsure if he should be screaming or crying. He doesn't even have the strength of mind to ask if she knows what a cell phone is.

"L-look," he takes a deep breath, trying to organize his thoughts as well as he can in this situation. "We need to go back to my place."

"Why?"

"Because-" He really doesn't want to say _'because my mom said so.'_ "W-we just do, ok? We need to get this, _whatever_ this is, sorted out. You probably need to go to a hospital, or something."

"A... hospi… tul?" Sakura frowns, but nods. "O-ok… but we can't be long, ok? I don't have much time!"

Syaoran briefly wonders how long it takes to do an MRI scan for concussions, but decides to put the thought out of his mind for now. Instead, he leads Sakura off the beach, heading up the road back to his apartment complex. He can feel his face burn as bystanders on the street stare and murmur at this strange, dirty, weirdly-dressed girl, and they end up having to take a detour when Syaoran sees a policeman out patrolling.

Soon enough, though, they're back at his building. He has to lead her up the stairs as if she's a newborn calf, noticing how her knees shake so much. Do concussions affect walking? They do, right? Shouldn't he have called an ambulance already? His mind buzzing with anxieties, Syaoran all but pushes Sakura into his apartment, casting one last nervous glance across the street before going in after her.

"Oh!" Sakura pays no mind to his rough gesture, distracted by the interior of his apartment. "This place… is it… your home?"

"Yeah. It is. Look-" He walks in, throwing his bag to the side. "I need to make a call. Maybe more than one. Ok?"

"Ok. What should I do?"  
"You just rest, ok? Don't move around, just take a seat somewhere and…" He looks over at her, hand halfway to taking his phone out. "...and…"  
For the first time, Syaoran looks at her. Really _looks_ at her. Weird, lopsided clothing aside, she looks to be his age. Her eyes are an odd color, he doesn't think he's even seen that shade of green before. Her short honey-colored hair is a _mess,_ sticking out everywhere, and…

"...You…" he says, slowly, "...you need a bath."

Indeed, Sakura is almost filthy. Sand and seaweed is stuck in her hair, patches of dirt clinging to her knees and elbows. When he looks down, he can see she tracked footprints into the room.

"A bath?" She tilts her head.

The look on Syaoran's face can only be described as 'anguish.' "Please tell me you know what a bath is."

"Wh-of course I know what a bath is!" She huffs, cheeks pink. "We have those too, you know!"

'We' as in 'royalty?' Or as in 'crazy people?'

"Ok, good. The bath is the second door on your left, down that hall. I'll get a change of clothes for you, ok? Something…" with as little buttons as possible. "J-just go. I'll make my calls while you're in there."

"Ok!" Sakura sings, hurrying down the hall. "Thank you, 'Li!'"

Syaoran watches her go, not moving until she disappears into the bathroom. As soon as he hears the door close, he starts moving.

First, he immediately moves to the kitchen counter, ripping a sheet out of his notepad and grabbing a pen. In a hurried scrawl, he writes: _'Can't join you for dinner. Emergency. Sorry. -Syaoran'_. He runs outside, shoves the note unceremoniously under Yukito's door, then goes back inside. He then takes out his phone, navigating to his recent calls and slamming the 'Mother' contact so hard it almost breaks his thumb.

Hardly one ring passes before the line picks up. _"Are you home?"_

"Yes. Mother, what-" Syaoran opens his mouth to finally ask his questions, but as he has too many of them, all that comes out is: _"What?"_

His mother only sighs. _"There was no time to explain. We had to get her secure, before someone else saw her. There was no warning, we didn't expect…"_

She trails off, and Syaoran takes the opportunity. "Mother, what is going on? Who _is_ this girl?" He tries to keep his tone as polite as possible, but his voice can't help but give away some of his panic. "She says she's _royalty?_ That can't be possible. But is it? Is she some secret relative of Japan's Emperor? Do they hide her away because she's so-"

" _You're letting your imagination run away. Don't be rude."_ His mother snaps, and his mouth snaps shut in tandem. _"That girl_ is _royalty. A princess, in fact."_

"A princess." Syaoran repeats the word, trying to make himself believe it. "But she's so…"

His mother is silent, but he can feel her warning through the phone again. Don't be rude.

"...sheltered?" He manages to stop himself from saying 'deluded.' "W-what country is she 'princess' of? Her name is Japanese!"

" _She's the princess of a… nearby country."_ she hedges.

It's taking absolutely all of Syaoran's power to not throw his phone. "Japan is in the middle of the ocean."

Another sigh. When she speaks again, her voice is lower. _"...Syaoran. What I am about to tell you is a family secret. Absolutely no one must know."_

A secret? No one? Syaoran frowns. "...Ok."

" _Do you remember the conversation we had, the other day?"_ She starts. _"About our clan, and how we gained our wealth through seafaring, finding buried treasure. You asked why we stopped."_

"Y-yes, I do." That conversation seems so long ago right now. And completely, utterly irrelevant. "What does that have to do with…"

" _We did not gain our wealth alone."_

"...What?"

" _We gained our wealth through the help of a certain… society. We aided them, in their time of need. And in return, they bestowed riches upon us."_ Yelan Li's voice is calm, level. _"In return, our ancestors made a pact. To protect both their secret, and their people."_

"Their... 'people?'" This all sounds like something out of a fairy tale. "Mother, what do you mean?"

Another pause. _"You can't tell anyone."_

"I _won't._ " Syaoran says it, but even as he does, he feels more anxious. What is going on? Why does it feel as if the words she's about to say are going to change everything?

" _...Syaoran… these people, they're…"_

A second passes, and it feels like an eternity. Two more pass, before she continues.

" _They're not human."_

It takes a moment, for Syaoran to process her words. He hears them, but it's as if his brain can't decipher their meaning.

"...What?"

" _They're not human, Syaoran."_ His mother repeats. _"They're a different species from us. One that's hidden away from humans."_

He wants to ask if she's joking, but he knows she isn't. Yelan Li does not joke.

"...You're serious."

He's answered only by silence. He grips the counter for support, suddenly feeling a bit lightheaded.

As if sensing his discomfort, Yelan speaks again. _"Are you about to faint?"_ She asks, bluntly.

"No." He says. Though it sounds as if he's answering her question, he continues: "No. There's no 'different species,' or-or whatever-there isn't." He pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to ignore the pain he feels in his temple. "I-I must be dreaming. That must be it."

" _You're deluding yourself into thinking this isn't real, to protect yourself."_ His mother sighs. _"Unfortunate, but understandable. The mind will go to great efforts to explain that which is not logical…"_

"It's a dream, and that's that." Syaoran keeps talking, pinching harder. Pinch, pinch, pinch. He must be sleeping on his nose or something, that's the only reason this actually hurts. "I'm going to hang up, and go to bed so I can wake up. Goodbye, Mother."

" _Syaoran, no-"_

He's about to hit 'hang up,' when a piercing scream sounds from down the hall. He almost drops his phone.

"Wh-"

" _What was that?"_ His mother's voice is urgent. _"Was that the princess's voice, what is she doing?!"_

"What?! U-uh, she-" He stammers. "She was covered in sand, so I told her to take a bath-"

" _You WHAT?!"_ For the first time in years, he hears his mother raise her voice. _"Go check on her, NOW!"_

The command sends him down the hall without pause, stubbing his toe as he runs. Hissing and cursing, he throws the door open without thinking. "Are-are you ok?! What-"

He stops, upon witnessing the sight before him.

"...h-happened…"

The scene is… bizarre, to say the least. About half of the water from the bath has been displaced, still trickling down the floor drain, though a good amount of it has soaked the walls and even parts of the ceiling-almost as if it was splashed everywhere. As for Sakura herself, the 'princess' is lying on her stomach, half-hanging out of the tub. A towel is wrapped around her upper half, thankfully.

There's this, and that, and then the giant, glittering pink fish's tail that's flopping out of the bath behind her.

Sakura looks up, tears flooding her eyes.

"...H-help…"

Syaoran stares for one… two… three seconds.

Then, without a word, he closes the door.

…

…

…

"You didn't have to close the door like that…"

" _Forgive him, Your Grace. He wasn't aware of the situation, and so…"_

Syaoran sits on the couch, his head in his hands. Somehow, through a lot of coaching from his mother and pure adrenaline, he was able to get Sakura and her giant tail- _tail,_ she had a _tail-_ out of the bath. From there, he left her alone while she dried off and changed into the looser shirt and sweatpants he had waiting for her. (Yelan told her how to properly wear underwear, because Syaoran outright _refused_ to take on that responsibility.)

A mermaid. She's a mermaid. Not human, a mermaid. Though there are about a million other questions running through his head, Syaoran at least knows that much. Though he tried to convince himself it was a dream, the sight of that tail (combined with the pain of stubbing his toe) promptly shooed away both that notion and any other doubts that may have lingered in his mind.

"This can't be happening." He mutters, under his breath.

" _I heard that, Syaoran."_ His mother's calm voice echoes. The phone is now propped up against a book, displaying Yelan's finely made-up face. Her hair is a straight black as opposed to Syaoran's messy brown, and her eyes are a dark grey, a far cry from her son's bright amber irises.

"S-so… you didn't know I was a mermaid?" Sakura's eyes are worried, as she tries to look at Syaoran.

"No. I didn't."

" _You know now. And that's why I'm going to explain this in full, now."_ Yelan says. _"Are you listening?"_

"Yes, I…" He takes a deep breath, in and out, before finally looking up again. "I'm listening." Sakura also looks up at the phone, though it seems as if she's more interested in the tiny person inside the 'box,' rather than what she's saying.

" _This is the history of our families,"_ Yelan begins. _"About thirty generations ago, the Li clan was simply a family of seafarers. We traveled the ocean, making our living on the seas and searching the world for treasure. Though it was a romantic pursuit of life, it did not exactly pay well. We were a very simple clan, then, with only one boat to our ancestors' name."_

Syaoran knows this story. He knows it, all the way up to the point where their family finds buried treasure and strikes it rich… except he was just told that wasn't true. That their wealth was instead 'bestowed' upon them.

" _One day during their travels, our ancestors were fishing for their next meal. When they pulled up their net, though, they found something-some_ one, _that they had never seen before. She had the upper body of a human, and the tail end of a fish."_

"...What?" Sakura blinks, brows raising, and Syaoran looks at her. What does she mean, 'what?' Shouldn't _she_ already know this?

Yelan continues. _"The creature called herself a mermaid, and was bleeding profusely. She had gotten lost in a storm and cut her tail open. She was fearful of humans, and begged for her life. Our ancestors took pity on her, and helped to nurse her back to health, as well as sail to where her kingdom lay under the sea. It turned out that this woman was the princess of the ocean. The royal family was touched and thankful for our ancestors' kind deed. They bestowed countless riches, treasures, artifacts to them, in return."_

"...And that was what our family sold, when they returned to land." Syaoran realizes.

Yelan nods. _"Yes. But that wasn't all."_

"It wasn't?" Sakura asks.

" _That's right. The royal family also proposed a pact. A contract, if you will."_

"A… contract?" Syaoran frowns.

" _The people under the sea-'merfolk,' as they called themselves-were curious of the surface. They wished to acquire our language, our ideas. But merfolk are… valuable, for lack of a better term, to humans."_ The matriarch's gaze flickers briefly to Sakura. _"They're a strange, magical people, compared to us. If they were to show themselves on the surface, they would surely be put in danger. Killed, even. It had happened before."_

Sakura shivers, drawing in on herself.

" _...So… the Li clan made a contract. In return for our auspicious future, we promised to accompany and protect any merfolk that would make a deal for legs and come to the surface. Royalty, scholars, merchants."_ Yelan says. _"A contract that stated we would be the merfolk's protectors-their knights. Being both seafarers and vagabonds for so long, our clan was well-versed in combat."_

"W-wait- _what?"_ Sakura gasps, standing. "Merfolk, we-we went to the _surface?!_ It's always been forbidden, though! Always!"

Yelan's brow quirks a bit. _"It most certainly hasn't. If it had, then how do you think we're speaking the same language right now?"_

Syaoran hates to admit it, but she has a point. If all humans don't even speak the same language, then how could an entirely different species?

"But, but-" Sakura whines. "I've never seen any human things, back home! Everything here is so new…"

Yelan hums at that. _"...I'm sure certain innovations based off of human concepts exist, in your kingdom. Likewise, some human innovations were inspired by merkind. But that was a long time ago."_ She pauses. _"Your kind ceased all contact with the human world some time ago. It's been ten generations or so, I would say."_

"But _why?_ If the surface gave us so much…"

" _I would not know. It was not my time."_

Syaoran listens to all of this, processing it slowly. It's hard to believe that this is all related to his family, to _him,_ but… as much as he hates to admit it… parts of it make sense. Especially...

"Mother, you said… that our family was supposed to be their 'knight,' or something. Because we were well-versed in combat..." He finally speaks, slowly. Though he doesn't show it, it's a bit of a struggle to keep his voice level. "Does that mean… my training, since I was young…" He remembers holding a sword at a young age. His training in martial arts. He always thought it was simply a sport for nobility, to keep his mind and body sharp, but…

" _It was part of the contract."_ His mother confirms, quietly. _"The Li clan is merkind's 'knight.' We must be prepared to protect them, no matter the time."_

Syaoran can't think straight. Though he doesn't want him too, the puzzle pieces fall into place, one by one. The evasiveness about their family's past. The sword lessons since he was young. Sending him away when he was just ten years old, to this small out-of-nowhere village, where this girl-this _mermaid_ just happened to wash up…

He doesn't ask his mother why, _why_ didn't she _tell_ him. He won't question his mother's judgement. Thankfully, though, Yelan answers his unspoken question.

" _It is custom in the Li clan for heirs to be told of the contract when they turn eighteen."_ She says. _"It's early for you… but we had no choice. The princess came here unexpectedly-we had to be swift."_

Syaoran frowns, staring at his knees. This is all so confusing, so enlightening, so… _strange._ This can't be real. And yet, all the evidence suggests the contrary.

" _...Syaoran."_ Yelan's voice brings him out of his thoughts. He looks up, meeting her eyes.

" _Do you understand what this means?"_ Yelan's voice is level, yet firm. _"You are to stay by the princess's side. You must guide her, and protect her. Her secret cannot be revealed to the world-her contract makes this task even more complicated. But the job falls to you."_

He feels his pulse quicken, and can almost hear the blood rushing in his ears. His chest feels tight, this is all too sudden, it's happening too fast. "I… Mother, I don't-"

" _This is your duty,"_ Yelan continues, _"as the next heir of the Li clan."_

With only those words, Syaoran's weak protest dies before it can even leave his mouth. ...Right. No matter how crazy this sounds, how bizarre this situation is… this is his duty. He can't go against it-especially not when it's a pact, a contract as serious as the one his mother is describing. He can feel the girl, the princess, the _mermaid_ staring a hole into the side of his skull, tying a painful knot in his gut. But he can only do his best to ignore it, as he gives a slow nod.

"...I understand."

" _...Good."_ His mother nods, her voice satisfied-or as satisfied as it can sound, he supposes. _"She will stay in your apartment, with you. There's an extra bedroom. You'll have to get her clothes, too, as well as teach her human customs, and…"_

"...Um…" The girl's voice next to him brings him out of his thoughts. "Miss… 'mother?'"

" _You may call me Yelan." Yelan?_ Most elders don't even call his mother by her given name!

"Y-Yelan… um… you keep saying, 'Li clan, Li clan…' w-what does that mean?" Sakura tilts her head, confused. "I-I thought this person here, was Li…"

" _He is Li. And I am Li, too. It is our family name… ah, that's right."_ Yelan blinks. _"Your people do not have this custom…"_

"They don't have family names?" Syaoran frowns.

"Everyone always calls me 'Princess,' and my family calls me 'Sakura…' do human families have special names?"

" _You could say that."_ Yelan confirms. _"So it's true… merkind only go by their name and title. Well-since it must be strange to you to call us by separate names, please call me Yelan, and him, Syaoran."_

 _What?_ Syaoran panics at the prospect of this girl-mermaid- _whatever,_ calling him by his first name. "W-wait-I don't know abou-"

" _I presume you don't use honorifics, either?"_

"Honor? Ah!" Sakura brightens. "My father's advisors talk a lot about honor! Honor to the throne, and honor to our people…"

" _Not quite."_ Yelan does not smile, but her eyes do gleam, ever so slightly. _"They are… well, custom, here. You will have to get used to them, during your stay. Ah, that's right. Where is the Deity of the Pacific?"_

"Deity?" Syaoran asks. At the same time, Sakura jumps.

"Oh-you're _right!_ W-where is he?! He was there when I fell out of the bath, but now… K-Kero?" She stands, looking around and calling, panicked. "Kerooo!"

"...I'm here."

A voice emerges from the pocket of Sakura's sweatpants, and Syaoran looks down. In the pocket, he can see the head of… what can only be called a 'stuffed animal,' really, lolling out. The 'stuffed animal' frowns, wiggles its ears, and sighs.

"About time," he grumbles. "I really didn't know what a good time to come out would be…"

"Ah!" Sakura smiles. "How long have you been there, Kero?!"

Syaoran's seriously convinced he's going to faint.

" _My."_ Yelan raises her brows in surprise. _"You're a lot… smaller, than I imagined."_

"Oi, size isn't everything!" 'Kero' snaps. Syaoran doesn't know if he should be surprised that the stuffed animal is talking, or that it has an Osakan accent. "And this isn't my true form. If I took my true form here, I'd take up half the room! Anyways, how'd you even know I was around?!"

" _I was told. By the person who informed us of your arrival… wasn't that a member of the royal family?"_ Yelan asks. _"Was this trip by the princess unplanned?"_

"You could say that, yeah." Kero grumbles, shooting a glare at an evasive Sakura. "It was pretty unplanned. And you _definitely_ didn't get a call from the royal family-That damn octowitch must have called, ugh… But don't worry, we won't be here long. We're just gonna see the sights, then go home. So, sorry for the trouble, but we gotta go-we're short on time as is, and I don't wanna hear this one whining about how we wasted our one day on the surface."

"Oh-you're right!" Sakura looks at the clock, and gasps. "W-we barely have a few hours-we-we need to go!"

" _Go?"_ But Yelan frowns. _"One day…? Is that how long your trip is?"_

"Yes!" The mermaid nods. "I-it's just one day-I only get to stay for one day, so I have to make it count! I still have to eat the food here-and go sightseeing, and I need to find-"

" _I was told you would be staying here for a year, though…"_

"Hah?" Kero looks at the screen, tiny brow raised. "No no no, it's just a day. Did you hear wrong?"

" _I'm quite sure I didn't. The message we got read… ah, here it is:"_ she reads aloud, _"'The princess will be waiting at the most deserted part of Nemukai's shore. For this next solar revolution, please take care of her.'"_

"Yeah, yeah, see? Solar revolution!" Kero huffs. "That's what the contract states! It said she gets one day on land, so we gotta make it count!"

Both Yelan and Syaoran frown, meeting eyes. For all their dissimilarities, their frown is almost identical.

" _...May I… see this contract?"_

Sakura takes out a blue, birdlike key from the necklace underneath her shirt, murmuring the word 'release.' Syaoran watches, amazed, as words of light burst forth from the key.

"U-um," Sakura realizes that while _she_ can read this perfectly, it might be showing up backwards for Yelan. "I'm sorry, um, how should I…"

" _Syaoran,"_ Yelan directs, _"read it out loud."_

Syaoran stands from the couch, thankful that his legs don't feel so weak anymore. Clearing his throat, he looks at the words, reading them aloud:

"By signing this contract, I declare that I understand and accept the following terms:

"I will be granted my wish of having legs to walk, when I am one with the light.

"I will be privileged with retaining a tail to swim, when I am one with water.

"Under these terms, I do accept the truth that signing this contract will remove from me my title as one with the water, and instead invoke upon me the privileges of freely moving between the forms of being one with light, and one with water. These privileges are invoked upon the following rules: when completely one with light, I shall have the form, shape, and abilities of those that walk on land. However, if I do touch a drop of water, I shall once again take the form, shape, and abilities of those that dwell beneath the sea.

"In signing this contract, I make the above pact with the Covenant of the Sun and the Moon, for the cycle of one solar revolution."

Syaoran doesn't think about how merfolk apparently even share a writing system with humans. He doesn't even think about all the fantasy mumbo-jumbo speak that's in this 'contract.' Instead, he focuses solely on the 'solar revolution' part, at the very end.

"See- _see?"_ Kero continues insisting, though, next to a very lost Sakura. _"Solar revolution,_ right there! One spin 'round the sun, one spin round the clock. That's all there is to it!"

Nothing but silence fills the air.

"...Why… why ain't anyone saying anything?" Kero frowns.

" _...This is… unprecedented."_ Yelan sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. _"I knew we'd be encountering lots of unexpected things in this situation, but…"_ She frowns, pinching harder. _"...To think that the Deity of the Pacific doesn't know basic astronomy…"_

"W-what?" Kero looks around, sweating. "...W-what do you mean, I don't know…?"

"A day is when the earth turns around once. It's a 'rotation.'" Syaoran says. As he speaks, he can feel the dread sinking into his stomach. "A 'revolution…' is when the earth goes all the way around the world. It's longer."

"...H-how…" Sakura speaks up, her voice meek. "...How much longer… is it?"

Yelan sighs again, pinching her temple so hard her nails might break. Syaoran looks up, his eyes serious, as his gaze meets Sakura's.

"A 'solar revolution…' is equal to one full year." He says, slowly.

When the words leave his mouth, the full gravity of the situation hits him. This is not a dream. This isn't even just one really weird day. This is…

"A year." He looks into her eyes, and repeats it. To convince her, to convince himself, that this is real. "You signed a contract for one year, on the surface."


End file.
